Quantification and inventory management of expressed human breast milk

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods, and devices for milk expression are provided. In one aspect, a system includes an expression apparatus having an interface configured to engage a breast and an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface. Actuation of the actuation assembly causes the interface to apply vacuum pressure against the breast to express milk from the breast. The system also includes various sensors for quantifying characteristics of the expressed milk, and a unique identifier allows inventory management of the expressed milk.

CROSS-REFERENCE

The present application is a non-provisional of, and claims the benefitof U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/052,941, filed on Sep. 19,2014 (Attorney Docket No. 44936-709.101), the entire contents of whichare incorporated herein by reference.

This application is related to the following co-pending provisional andnon-provisional patent applications: U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/221,113 [attorney docket no. 44936-703.201], U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/616,557 [attorney docket no. 44936-704.201], U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/793,606 [attorney docket no. 44936-705.201],U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/793,613 [attorney docket no.44936-706.201], and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/793,617[attorney docket no. 44936-707.201], the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to medical devices and methods,and more particularly relates to devices and methods for expression andcollection of human breast milk. Such devices and methods preferablyfacilitate quantification of properties of the expressed milk as well asinventory control of the expressed milk.

Breast pumps are commonly used to collect breast milk in order to allowmothers to continue breastfeeding while apart from their children. Itwould be desirable to provide breast pumps that not only collect themilk, but that can provide additional information about the expressedmilk. Additional features such as quantification of milk production andnutritional information as well as inventory management are furtherdesirable for enhanced user convenience. Managing the inventory ofexpressed breast milk can pose challenges for the user, because of thefluctuating supply and demand for the milk over time and the limitedshelf-life of expressed breast milk. It would be desirable to provide away for users to automatically keep track of the expressed milkinventory, to manage the inventory, and even forecast both futureconsumption and production. It would also be desirable to providequantitative information that characterizes the nutritional informationabout the expressed milk.

At least some of these objectives will be satisfied by the devices andmethods disclosed below.

2. Description of the Background Art

The following US patents are related to expression and collection ofhuman breast milk: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,673,036; 6,749,582; 6,840,918;6,887,210; 7,875,000; 8,118,772; and 8,216,179.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to medical devices and methods,and more particularly relates to devices and methods for expression andcollection of human breast milk.

In one aspect, a system for quantifying expressed milk from a humanbreast comprises a breast milk expression device configured to expressmilk from the breast and a reservoir fluidly coupled to the breast milkexpression device, configured to collect the expressed breast milk. Thereservoir comprises a unique identifier. The system further comprises asensor unit configured to quantify one or more attributes of theexpressed breast milk. The system further comprises a peripheral devicein communication with the sensor unit, wherein the peripheral device isconfigured to associate the one or more attributes of the expressed milkquantified by the sensor unit with the unique identifier of thereservoir containing the expressed breast milk.

In any embodiment of the system, the sensor unit may be integrated withthe reservoir and configured to quantify the one or more attributes ofthe expressed breast milk as the expressed breast milk is collected intothe reservoir. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor unit may beintegrated with the breast milk expression device and configured toquantify the one or more attributes of the expressed breast milk as theexpressed breast milk is collected into the reservoir. Additionally oralternatively, the sensor unit may comprise a separate sensor unit incommunication with the peripheral device, the separate sensor unitconfigured to quantify one or more attributes of the expressed breastmilk after the expressed breast milk has been collected in thereservoir.

The one or more attributes of the expressed breast milk quantified bythe sensor unit may comprise a volume of the expressed breast milkcollected in the reservoir. Additionally or alternatively, the one ormore attributes may comprise a composition of the expressed milk,wherein the sensor unit is configured to quantify the relative amount ofone or more compounds present in the expressed breast milk.

In any embodiment of the system, the breast milk expression device maybe configured to generate pump session data comprising a start time of apump session and an end time of the pump session. The peripheral devicemay be further configured to associate the pump session data with theunique identifier of the reservoir.

In any embodiment of the system, the peripheral device may be furtherconfigured with instructions to update an inventory of expressed breastmilk in response to the association of the one or more attributes of theexpressed milk with the unique identifier of the reservoir containingthe expressed breast milk. The peripheral device may be configured togenerate an inventory item in the inventory of expressed breast milkcorresponding to the unique identifier of the reservoir containing theexpressed breast milk.

The unique identifier may comprise one or more of a human-readable code,a barcode, a Quick Response (QR) code, and a radio-frequencyidentification (RFID) tag.

In any embodiment of the system, the system may further comprise a labelprinter for generating a label for the reservoir comprising the uniqueidentifier. The label printer may be configured to communicate with theperipheral device and provide the unique identifier to the peripheraldevice when the label is generated.

In another aspect, a method for quantifying expression of breast milkfrom a human breast comprises expressing breast milk from a human breastusing a breast milk expression device, and collecting the expressedbreast milk into a reservoir fluidly coupled to the breast milkexpression device. The method further comprises quantifying one or moreattributes of the expressed breast milk with a sensor unit andgenerating pump session data comprising a start time of expression ofthe breast milk and an end time of the expression. The method furthercomprises digitally associating the pump session data with the one ormore attributes of the expressed milk. The method further comprisesupdating a pump session log with the pump session data, wherein the pumpsession log is stored on a peripheral device in communication with thebreast milk expression device.

The quantifying may comprise quantifying the one or more attributes ofthe expressed breast milk as the expressed breast milk is collected intothe reservoir. Additionally or alternatively, the quantifying maycomprise quantifying the one or more attributes of the expressed breastmilk after the expressed breast milk has been collected in thereservoir. The quantifying may comprise quantifying a volume of theexpressed breast milk collected in the reservoir, a relative amount ofone or more compounds present in the expressed breast milk, or acombination thereof.

The method may further comprise feeding the expressed breast milk to achild, and determining a volume of expressed breast milk consumed by thechild. The method may further comprise updating a feed log stored on theperipheral device to add feeding session data, wherein the feedingsession data comprises a time of the feeding and the volume of consumedbreast milk.

In any embodiment of the method, the reservoir may comprise a uniqueidentifier, and the method may further comprise providing the uniqueidentifier to the peripheral device. The method may further comprisedigitally associating the unique identifier with the pump session dataand the one or more attributes of the expressed milk.

The unique identifier may comprise a human-readable code, whereinproviding the unique identifier to the peripheral device may compriseprompting a user to input the human-readable code via an application ofthe peripheral device. Additionally or alternatively, the uniqueidentifier may comprise a machine-readable code, wherein providing theunique identifier to the peripheral device may comprise reading themachine-readable code with a machine configured to recognize themachine-readable code. The machine-readable code may comprise aradio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, and providing the uniqueidentifier to a peripheral device may comprise scanning the RFID tagwith an RFID reader in communication with the peripheral device.

The method may further comprise updating an inventory of expressedbreast milk to add a new inventory item corresponding to the uniqueidentifier of the reservoir containing the expressed breast milk.

The method may further comprise transferring the expressed milk from thereservoir to another storage reservoir comprising a unique identifier.

In another aspect, a system for managing an inventory of expressedbreast milk comprises a reservoir containing expressed breast milk,wherein the reservoir comprises a unique identifier. The system furthercomprises an inventory management database comprising one or moreinventory items, each inventory item associated with a unique identifierof a reservoir. The system further comprises a computing deviceconfigured with instructions to receive the unique identifier of thereservoir, receive one or more attributes of the expressed breast milkdigitally associated with the unique identifier, and update theinventory management database in response to receiving the uniqueidentifier.

In any embodiment of the system, the one or more attributes of theexpressed breast milk may comprise a date and time of expression of theexpressed breast milk.

In any embodiment of the system, the computing device may be furtherconfigured to sort the one or more inventory items in the inventorymanagement database in order of first-to-feed to last-to-feed. Thecomputing device may be further configured to display the inventorymanagement database to a user. The computing device may be furtherconfigured to locally store the inventory management database.

Any embodiment of the system may further comprise a server incommunication with the computing device, the server configured toremotely store the inventory management database.

In any embodiment of the system, the unique identifier may comprise aQuick Response (QR) code, and the computing device may be furtherconfigured to recognize the QR code. Alternatively or additionally, theunique identifier may comprise a radio-frequency identification (RFID)tag, wherein the system may further comprise an RFID reader incommunication with the computing device. The RFID reader may beconfigured to recognize the RFID tag and provide identifier informationto the computing device.

Any embodiment of the system may further comprise a reservoir organizerconfigured to store a plurality of reservoirs in a stackedconfiguration. The organizer may comprise a top opening configured toreceive the plurality of reservoirs one at a time, and a bottom openingconfigured to allow withdrawal of a reservoir disposed at the bottom ofa stack of the plurality of reservoirs, thereby facilitating a first-in,first-out system of organization. Optionally, the reservoir organizermay further comprise an integrated RFID reader configured to scan anRFID tag disposed on a storage reservoir as the storage reservoir entersor exits the reservoir organizer. The RFID reader may communicatedetected scans to the computing device. Optionally, the reservoirorganizer may further comprise an integrated weight sensor configured tomeasure a weight of the stack of the plurality of reservoirs. The weightsensor may communicate detected changes in the weight of the stack tothe computing device.

In another aspect, a method for managing an inventory of expressedbreast milk comprises identifying, from an inventory of expressed breastmilk, an inventory item associated with a unique identifier of areservoir containing expressed breast milk. The method further comprisesupdating the inventory of expressed breast milk with respect to theidentified inventory item. The inventory may be locally stored on acomputing device, wherein the computing device may be configured withinstructions to provide an inventory management application.

In any embodiment of the method, the unique identifier may be digitallyassociated with pump session data for the expressed breast milkcontained in the reservoir. The pump session data may comprise a dateand time of expression of the expressed breast milk. Additionally oralternatively, the unique identifier may be digitally associated withone or more attributes of the expressed breast milk contained in thereservoir.

Identifying an inventory item may comprise obtaining the uniqueidentifier of the reservoir selected and removed from storage by a user.Identifying an inventory item may comprise displaying, via the inventorymanagement application of the computing device, a list of inventoryitems in the inventory, and prompting a user to select the inventoryitem from the list of inventory items. The method may further comprisesorting the list of inventory items in order of first-to-feed tolast-to-feed. Sorting in order of first-to-feed to last-to-feed maycomprise sorting in order of date of expression of the expressed breastmilk, wherein an inventory item corresponding to expressed breast milkwith an oldest date of expression is determined to be the first-to-feed,and an inventory item corresponding to expressed breast milk with anewest date of expression is determined to be the last-to-feed.Optionally, the method may further comprise providing, via the inventorymanagement application of the computing device, a visual display of aplurality of reservoirs corresponding to a plurality of inventory itemsin the inventory, the visual display identifying the first-to-feedinventory item. Optionally, the method may further comprise indicatingan inventory item as expired if a difference between a current date anda date of expression of the expressed breast milk corresponding to theinventory item exceeds a predetermined expiry threshold.

Updating the inventory may comprise removing the inventory item from theinventory in response to a determination that there is no remaining milkin the reservoir. Alternatively, updating the inventory may compriseupdating information associated with the inventory item in response to adetermination that there is remaining milk in the reservoir. Updatinginformation associated with the inventory item may comprise updating avolume of the expressed breast milk contained in the reservoir, astorage location of the reservoir, or a combination thereof.

In any embodiment of the method, the inventory may be locally stored onthe computing device. Additionally or alternatively, the inventory maybe remotely stored on a server in communication with the computingdevice.

In any embodiment of the method, the unique identifier may comprise aradio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, and the method may furthercomprise scanning the RFID tag with an RFID reader in communication withthe computing device.

These and other embodiments are described in further detail in thefollowing description related to the appended drawing figures.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in thisspecification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent asif each individual publication, patent, or patent application wasspecifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity inthe appended claims. A better understanding of the features andadvantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to thefollowing detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments,in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and theaccompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pumping device, in accordance withembodiments;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a hydraulic pumping device, inaccordance with embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of a hydraulic pumping device, in accordancewith embodiments;

FIG. 4 illustrates an actuation assembly coupled to a driving mechanism,in accordance with embodiments;

FIGS. 5A-5B illustrate an actuation assembly coupled to a controller, inaccordance with embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a breast interface, in accordancewith embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of another a breast interface, inaccordance with embodiments;

FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of an integrated valve within aflexible membrane in an open position, in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of an integrated valve within aflexible membrane in a closed position, in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a breast interface with a mechanicaldeformable member, in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a mechanical driver for amechanical deformable member, in accordance with embodiments;

FIGS. 11A-11L illustrate exemplary embodiments of sensors for detectingfluid;

FIG. 12 illustrates a controller and a mobile device, in accordance withembodiments;

FIG. 13 illustrates short range communication between a controller and amobile device, in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of a pumping device in communicationwith a computing device and a server, in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 15 is a graph illustrating the pump performance of an exemplarypumping device compared to a commercial device, in accordance withembodiments; and

FIG. 16 is a graph illustrating the pumping efficiency of an exemplarypumping device compared to a commercial device, in accordance withembodiments.

FIG. 17 illustrates a schematic diagram of a system for expression ofmilk;

FIG. 18 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a system forexpression of milk;

FIGS. 19A-19C illustrate exemplary displays on a computing device;

FIGS. 20A-20B illustrate exemplary displays in a milk expression system;

FIG. 21 illustrates the use of a feedback control loop to control a milkexpression device;

FIG. 22 illustrates a dual expression system;

FIGS. 23A and 23B illustrate exemplary embodiments of a sensor unit forquantifying the composition of expressed milk using an enzyme assay;

FIG. 24 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a sensor unit configuredto quantify the composition of expressed milk using spectroscopy;

FIG. 25 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a milk expression andinventory management system;

FIG. 26 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a storage configurationfor expressed milk reservoirs having unique identifiers;

FIG. 27 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a milk expressionand inventory management system;

FIG. 28 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a label printer which maybe optionally incorporated with an inventory management system;

FIG. 29 shows an exemplary method of adding an item to a breast milkinventory;

FIG. 30A is a perspective view and FIG. 30B is a side cross-sectionalview of an exemplary storage reservoir organizer;

FIG. 31 shows an exemplary method of removing an item from a breast milkinventory; and

FIG. 32 shows another exemplary method of removing an item from a breastmilk inventory.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Specific embodiments of the disclosed systems, devices, and methods willnow be described with reference to the drawings. Nothing in thisdetailed description is intended to imply that any particular component,feature, or step is essential to the invention. Although the presentinvention primarily relates to breast milk, any description herein ofexpression and collection of breast milk can also be applied to othertypes of fluids expressed from other portions of the body including butnot limited to colostrum fluid from the breast. Furthermore, thedisclosed embodiments may be used in other applications, such asapplications wherein negative pressure is used to help collect a bodyfluid or other specimen.

The systems, devices, and methods of the present invention provideimproved pumping devices for the expression and collection of breastmilk, such as human breast milk. Contrary to existing devices, themechanisms described herein enable the development of smaller and moreefficient pumping devices, thereby enhancing convenience and ease ofuse. Additionally, any of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein mayoptionally incorporate sensors for measuring characteristics of milkexpression. The resultant data can be used, for instance, as feedbackfor improving pumping efficiency, as well as to provide informationand/or analytics relevant to milk expression to the user. Furthermore,in preferred embodiments, the data can be transmitted to another devicein communication with the pumping device, thereby enabling control,display, and/or analysis of milk expression to be performed remotely.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a milk expression device.Pumping device 100 (also known as an “expression apparatus” or“expression device”) includes breast interfaces 105, a tube 110, and acontroller 115 (sometimes also referred to as a “pendant unit”)operatively coupled to breast interfaces 105 through tube 110. Breastinterfaces 105 include resilient and conformable flanges 120, forengaging and creating a fluid seal against the breasts, and collectionvessels 125. Controller 115 houses the power source and drive mechanismfor pumping device 100, and also contains hardware for variousfunctions, such as controlling pumping device 100, milk productionquantification, and communication with other devices, as described infurther detail below. Tube 110 transmits suitable energy inputs, such asmechanical energy inputs, from controller 115 over a long distance tobreast interfaces 105. Breast interfaces 105 convert the energy inputsinto vacuum pressure against the breasts in a highly efficient manner,resulting in the expression of milk into collection vessels 125.

Hydraulic Pumping Device

Hydraulic systems can reduce pumping force requirements, and thereforealso reduce the size of the pumping device, while maintaining highpumping efficiencies. In a preferred embodiment, the pumping device canutilize a hydraulic system to generate a pressure differential againstthe breast for the expression and collection of milk.

Exemplary hydraulic pumping devices are depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.2 illustrates a pumping device 150 with a syringe 155 fluidly coupled tobreast interface 160 by tube 165. Syringe 155 is coupled to tube 165through a three-way valve 170. Breast interface 160 contains an exitport 175. The syringe 155 drives a fluid 180 contained within tube 165against a flexible member contained within breast interface 160 tocreate the pressure differential necessary for milk expression from thebreast.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of a pumping device 200. Theactuation assembly 205 includes an assembly housing 210, a drivingelement 215, radial seals 220, and a shaft 222. Driving element 215 isoperatively coupled to a controller, such as controller 115, throughshaft 222. The tube 225 contains a fluid 230 and is fluidly coupled tothe actuation assembly 205 and the breast interface 235. The breastinterface 235 consists of an interface housing 240, a flexible membrane245, a reservoir 250, a sealing element 255, an expression area 260, anda drain port 265. The sealing element 255 includes deformable portion270. The drain port 265 is coupled to a collection vessel 275 andincludes a flap valve 280.

Actuation assembly 205 displaces fluid 230 contained within tube 225,which can be a flexible line. Fluid 230 occupies reservoir 250 withinbreast interface 235 and is coupled with flexible membrane 245.Preferably, the couplings between the flexible membrane 245, sealingelement 255, and interface housing 240 are fluid-tight couplings, suchthat the fluid 230 is contained within the reservoir 250 and cannotinfiltrate into the expression area 260. Flexible membrane 245 transmitsvacuum pressure from fluid 230 to the deformable portion 270 of sealingelement 255. When a breast is engaged into and fluidly sealed withbreast interface 235 by sealing element 255, displacement of theactuation element 215 produces substantial vacuum pressure against thebreast through flexible membrane 245 and deformable portion 270,resulting in the expression of breast milk into expression area 260. Theexpressed milk drains through drain port 265 into collection vessel 275.Drain port 265 is configured with a flap valve 280 to provide passage ofmilk while maintaining vacuum pressure in expression area 260.Collection vessel 275 can be any suitable container, such as a bottle ora bag. In many embodiments, collection vessel 275 is removably coupledto flexible membrane 245. Collection vessel 275 can be coupled directlyor remotely via any suitable device such as extension tubing.Preferably, the collection vessel can be quickly decoupled from theother components of the pumping device 22 (e.g., for milk storage,cleaning, etc.).

The fluid for the hydraulic pumping device can be any suitable fluid,such as an incompressible fluid. In many embodiments, the incompressiblefluid can be a liquid, such as water or oil. Alternatively, the fluidcan be any suitable gas, such as air. Any liquid or gas suitable for usewith hydraulic systems can be used for the hydraulic pumping devicesdescribed herein.

Actuation Mechanism

Many actuation mechanisms known to those of skill in the art can beutilized for the actuation assembly 205. Actuation assembly 205 can be apiston assembly, a pump such as a diaphragm pump, or any other suitableactuation mechanism. The optimal configuration for actuation assembly205 can depend on a number of factors, such as: vacuum requirements;size, power, and other needs of the pumping device 200; and theproperties of the fluid 230, such as viscosity, biocompatibility, andfluid life requirements.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment in which actuation assembly205 is a piston assembly and driving element 215 is a piston. Actuationassembly 205 includes radial seals 220, such as O-rings, sealing againstassembly housing 210 to prevent undesired egress of fluid 230 and toenable driving of fluid 230.

FIG. 4 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of an actuation assembly300 including a pair of pistons 305.

In preferred embodiments, the actuation assembly includes a drivingelement powered by a suitable driving mechanism, such as a drivingmechanism residing in controller 115. Many driving mechanisms are knownto those of skill in the art. For instance, the driving element, such asdriving element 215, may be actuated electromechanically by a motor, ormanually by a suitable user-operated interface, such as a lever. Variousdrive modalities known to those of skill in the art can be used. Inparticular, implementation of the exemplary hydraulic pumping devices asdescribed herein enables the use of suitable drive modalities such asdirect drive and solenoids, owing to the reduced force requirements ofhydraulic systems.

Referring now to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4, the pistons 305include couplings 310 to a crankshaft 315. The crankshaft 315 isoperatively coupled to a motor 320 through a belt drive 325. Thecrankshaft 315 drives the pair of pistons 305 with the same stroketiming in order to apply vacuum pressure against both breastssimultaneously, a feature desirable for increased milk production.Alternatively, the crankshaft 315 can drive the pair of pistons 305 withany suitable stroke timing, such as alternating or offset stroke cycles.

The driving mechanism can be powered by any suitable power source, suchas a local battery or an AC adaptor. The driving mechanism can becontrolled by hardware, such as onboard electronics located withincontroller 115.

FIG. 22 illustrates another embodiment of an alternating pump system2200. The system 2200 includes dual expression devices with an interface2212 sized and shaped to conform to the target tissue, here a breast. Areservoir 2214 is threadably or otherwise coupled to the expressiondevice. A hydraulic line 2210 fluidly couples each expression device toa hydraulic piston assembly 2204 which has an incompressible fluid suchas oil in a piston chamber and an actuatable piston 2206. One hydraulicline 2210 is coupled to the high pressure side 2208 of the hydraulicpiston, and the other hydraulic line is coupled to the lower pressureside 2208 of the piston. A motor 2202 actuates the piston 2206. Thus, inoperation, as the piston is actuated the high pressure side creates ahigher pressure in one of the expression devices and a lower pressure inthe other expression device. The lower pressure expression deviceresults in a vacuum which creates conditions under which milk expressionoccurs, while the high pressure side does not express milk. Then, as thepiston reaches the end of its stroke, and reciprocates in the oppositedirection, the high and low pressure sides are reversed, thereby causingexpression of milk on the opposite side and no expression on theoriginal side. This process allows milk to be collected in analternating fashion. The expression devices, reservoirs in this systemmay be any of the components disclosed elsewhere in this disclosure.

In any pump system comprising a pair of breast interfaces as describedherein, each breast interface may be fluidly coupled to a separatehydraulic line, and each separate hydraulic line may be operably coupledto a separate actuation assembly (e.g., actuatable piston).

FIGS. 5A-5B illustrate an exemplary embodiment of an actuation assembly350 that includes releasable coupling 355. FIG. 5A is a perspective viewof the embodiment, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of theembodiment. Preferably, actuation assembly 350 is releasably coupled toa controller 360 and the driving mechanism housed therein. The couplingcan be a mechanical coupling or any suitable quick release mechanismknown to those of skill in the art. The releasably coupled design allowsfor flexibility in the configuration and use of the pumping device. Forinstance, user comfort can be improved through the use of differentlysized breast interfaces for compatibility with various breast sizes.Additionally, this feature enables a common pumping device to be usedwith interchangeable breast interfaces, thus reducing the risk ofspreading pathogens. Furthermore, the releasable coupling enables easyreplacement of individual parts of the pumping device.

Flexible Membrane

In any of the embodiments, such as the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3,the flexible membrane 245 is optionally located within breast interface235 and disposed over at least portion thereof, forming reservoir 250between the interface housing 240 and the flexible membrane 245.Preferably, the flexible membrane 245 deforms substantially when subjectto the negative pressures created when the fluid 230 is displaced fromreservoir 250 by actuation assembly 205. The amount of deformation ofthe flexible membrane 245 can be controlled by many factors, (e.g., wallthickness, durometer, surface area) and can be optimized based on thepumping device (e.g., pump power, vacuum requirements).

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary flexible membrane 370 with a specifiedthickness and durometer.

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of flexible membrane 375 withcorrugated features 380 for increased surface area.

Suitable materials for the flexible membrane are known to those of skillin the art. In many embodiments, the flexible membrane can be made of amaterial designed to expand and contract when subject to pressures fromthe coupling fluid such as silicone, polyether block amides such asPEBAX, and polychloroprenes such as neoprene. Alternatively, theflexible membrane can be fabricated from a substantially rigid material,such as stainless steel, nitinol, high durometer polymer, or highdurometer elastomer. In these embodiments, the rigid material would bedesigned with stress and/or strain distribution elements to enable thesubstantial deformation of the flexible membrane without surpassing theyield point of the material.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate preferred embodiments of a breast interface400 in which an exit valve 405 is integrated into the flexible membrane410 to control the flow of expressed milk through exit port 415. Theexit valve 405 is opened to allow fluid flow when the flexible membrane410 is relaxed, as shown in FIG. 8A, and is closed to prevent fluid flowwhen the flexible membrane 410 is deformed, as shown in FIG. 8B. Theexit valve 405 enables substantial vacuum pressure to be present inexpression area 420 during extraction, while allowing milk to drainduring the rest phase of the pump stroke. While many conventional breastpump valves function on pressure differentials alone, the exit valve 405can preferably be configured to also function on the mechanical movementof flexible membrane 410. Incorporation of an integrated exit valve 405with mechanical functionality as described herein can improve thesealing of the breast interface 400 during vacuum creation. Furthermore,the implementation of an exit valve integrally formed within theflexible membrane 410 such as exit valve 405 reduces the number of partsto be cleaned.

Mechanical Pumping Device

FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a breast interface 600in which a mechanical deformable member 605 can be used in place of aflexible membrane. The mechanical deformable member 605 can beconstructed from similar techniques as those used for the flexiblemembrane as described herein. The mechanical deformable member 605 iscoupled to a tensile element 610. In some instances, tensile element 610is disposed within an axial load absorbing member 615. The axial loadabsorbing member 615 is disposed within tube 620. Preferably, tensileelement 610 is concentrically disposed within axial load absorbingmember 615 and axial load absorbing member 615 is concentricallydisposed within tube 620. Alternative arrangements of tensile element610, axial load absorbing member 615, and tube 620 can also be used.

FIG. 10 illustrates the tensile element 610 coupled to driving element625 of an actuation assembly 630 within an assembly housing 635. Drivingelement 625 is operatively coupled to a driving mechanism, such as adriving mechanism housed within a controller, through shaft 640. Axialload absorbing member 615 within tube 620 is fixedly coupled to theassembly housing 635. Displacement of the driving element 625 transmitstensile force through tensile element 610 to the mechanical deformingmember 605 to create vacuum pressure against the breast. The drivingelement 625 can be actuated by a suitable driving mechanism, such as theembodiments previously described herein.

The tensile element 610 can be any suitable device, such as a wire,coil, or rope, and can be made from any suitable material, such asmetals, polymers, or elastomers. Axial load absorbing member 615 can bemade from any suitable axially stiff materials, such as metals orpolymers, and can be configured into any suitable axially stiffgeometry, such as a tube or coil.

Fluid Collection and Quantification System

In many instances, it can be desirable to measure and track variouscharacteristics of the collected fluid such as milk expression andcollection, such as the amount of milk production (e.g., volume,weight), expression frequency (e.g., time, date), expression duration,and/or the composition of the expressed milk. In existing approaches,the tracking of milk production is commonly accomplished by manualmeasurements and record-keeping. Exemplary embodiments of the devicesdescribed herein may provide digital-based means to automaticallymeasure and track milk production for improved convenience, efficiency,and accuracy.

In order to facilitate milk inventory tracking and management, a uniqueidentifier may be assigned to the milk expressed during a single pumpingsession and preferably for only a single breast. Alternatively, a singleunique identifier may be assigned to milk expressed during multiplepumping sessions within a pre-designated time window, from one or bothbreasts. The pre-designated time window may comprise any length of timethat is appropriate or convenient for a user in managing the user's milkinventory. For example, many users combine milk expressed duringmultiple pumping sessions within the same calendar day or within 24hours. Accordingly, the same unique identifier may be assigned to milkexpressed during all pumping sessions within the desired time window.

The unique identifier may be disposed on the collection vessel or on thereservoir coupled to the expression device, wherein the reservoir maycomprise a bottle and/or a bag. The reservoir may be removably couplableto the expression device, such that a new reservoir with a uniqueidentifier may be used for each pumping session. The collectionreservoir, once removed from the expression device, may be used as astorage reservoir for the expressed milk. Alternatively or incombination, the unique identifier may be disposed on a storagereservoir separate from the collection vessel, such as a storage bottleor bag into which a user may transfer the expressed milk collected inthe collection vessel.

The unique identifier may comprise a pre-labeled identifier such as abarcode or a Quick Response (QR) code, or it may comprise an identifierthat is manually labeled by the user, such as a label removably disposedin a label window, or an area that can be written on with a pen or amarker. A pre-labeled serial number may also be provided on thereservoir. The unique identifier may be digitally coupled to the basicinformation pertaining to the pumping session such as the date, starttime, and end time of the session, collected by either the controller ofthe pump or a sensor integrated with the expression device. The uniqueidentifier may also be digitally coupled to the one or more attributesof the expressed milk as quantified by the sensors as described herein.The data associated with each unique identifier can be stored in a dataarray either locally or remotely as described in further detail herein,such that the data may be used to track and manage the inventory of theexpressed milk. A single unique identifier may also be digitally coupledto information pertaining to multiple pumping sessions, for example toall pumping sessions within the same calendar day as described herein,or any other defined collection period. The single unique identifier mayadditionally be digitally coupled to the one or more attributes of theexpressed milk from the multiple pumping sessions. The attributes of theexpressed milk from each pumping session may be separately recorded andeach associated with the single unique identifier. Alternatively, theattributes of the expressed milk from the multiple pumping sessions maybe combined. For example, the volume of expressed milk from each of themultiple pumping sessions may be added together to generate a totalvolume that is associated with the single unique identifier, and/or thecomposition of the expressed milk (e.g., fat content, calories, etc.)from the multiple pumping sessions may be averaged to generate theaverage composition of expressed milk that is associated with the singleunique identifier.

Alternatively to or in combination with the various types of uniqueidentifiers discussed above, the unique identifier may comprise aradio-frequency identification (RFID) tag or near field communication(NFC) tag. Preferably, the RFID tag comprises a passive tag that mayproduce an authentication response to radio energy transmitted by anRFID scanner or reader. Alternatively, the RFID tag may comprise anactive tag or a battery-assisted passive tag configured to periodicallytransmit its ID signal. The RFID tag may be read-only, wherein the tagcomprises a pre-assigned ID, or the tag may be read/write-enabled,wherein the tag may be programmed by a user. The RFID tag may be read orscanned by an RFID reader by placing the RFID tag near or in contactwith the RFID reader. The scanning of an RFID tag by an RFID reader canlead to the addition or removal of the tagged milk to or from a user'sinventory, as described in further detail elsewhere herein.

In exemplary embodiments, the pumping devices described herein caninclude one or more sensors for generating measurement data indicativeof one or more characteristics of milk expression, such as the volume ofexpressed milk. In preferred embodiments, the volume can be measured asvolume per unit time, volume per pump stroke (e.g., stroke of theactuation assembly), or volume per pump power cycle (e.g., power cycleof the actuation assembly). Any description herein pertaining tomeasurement of volume can also be applied to measurements of othercharacteristics, and vice-versa. Any suitable type of sensor can beused, such as accelerometers, Hall effect sensors, photodiode/LEDsensors, CCD sensors, cameras and other imaging devices, capacitivesensors, strain gauges, etc., and such sensors can be used in any numberand combination. The sensors can be positioned at any location suitablefor monitoring fluid flow from the breast, such as on or near a breastinterface (e.g., the expression area 260, drain port 265, collectionvessel 275). In embodiments where milk is concurrently expressed from apair of breasts via a pair of breast interfaces, sensors can be locatedon or near both breast interfaces, or on or near only one of the breastinterfaces. The sensors may be integrally formed with or permanentlyaffixed to the pumping device, or they may be provided separately andcoupled to the pumping device prior to use. Alternatively, the sensorsmay be provided as a separate unit that can measure the one or morecharacteristics of the expressed milk after the milk has been expressed.

Sensors for quantifying the composition of the expressed milk may alsobe provided with the pumping devices described herein. For example,sensors may be provided for measuring the relative amounts of certaincarbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals known to bepresent in breast milk. Sensors may also be configured to determine theestimated caloric value of the expressed milk and/or the percentage ofalcohol present in the milk. Such sensors may include devices that canspectroscopically measure the presence of certain compounds in a volumeof breast milk, or a multi-spectral imaging system that can image thecollected fluid under different wavelengths to estimate composition anddensity, or devices that can measure the enzymatic activity produced bycertain compounds of breast milk that act as substrates for specificenzymes. The sensors may comprise stand-alone units with their own userinterface, or they may be removably couplable with a peripheral devicesuch a mobile phone, tablet, or personal computer, wherein theperipheral device can be provided with an application programmed tocontrol the sensor unit. The data may also be stored in the cloud sothat it may be accessed and used by other computing devices and otherusers such as a physician or a child caretaker. Other characteristicswhich may be sensed include but are not limited to milk density, weight,percent fat content, as well as other attributes.

FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate exemplary embodiments of a breast interface450 with valve-integrated sensors 455. Sensors 455 are preferablylocated in a valve, such as the flap valve 460, but may also be locatedin exit valve 465, or any other valve (e.g., on or near the collectionvessel) that is opened by fluid flow. In exemplary embodiments, thesensor 455 includes an accelerometer measuring the position and/ormotion of the valve, such as a length of time that the valve is opened,and the resultant measurement data can be interrogated to quantify thefluid flow. Preferably, the breast interface 450 is used in conjunctionwith a second, identical breast interface to concurrently express milkfrom a pair of breasts (e.g., simultaneously, alternatingly, orsequentially). A pair of accelerometers can be used to detect theposition and/or motion of the corresponding valve in each interface. Insome instances, movements of the user may cause the accelerometers toproduce motion signals that are erroneously interpreted as valve motion.Accordingly, in preferred embodiments, suitable approaches are used todistinguish between signals resulting from motion of the user andsignals generated by motion of the valves. For example, the pumpingdevice can be configured to alternatingly express milk from each breast,such that the corresponding valves are also opened alternatingly.Consequently, motion detected simultaneously from both accelerometerscan be regarded as resulting from user motion, rather than from valvemotion. The user motion can be subtracted from the total motion signalobtained by the accelerometers in order to obtain the valve motion, andthereby determine the position of each valve.

FIG. 11C illustrates an embodiment with an accelerometer 470 moreclearly. The accelerometer 470 is coupled to a flap valve 476 on theoutput of the expression device 472 which has a breast interface 474(sometimes also referred to as a distal assembly in this specification).The expression device and breast interface may be any of the embodimentsdisclosed herein. As breast milk 468 is expressed, it collects at theoutput of the device. When enough fluid is collected, flap valve 470opens, and the milk 468 drains into reservoir 462 and collects in alayer 464 therein. The reservoir 462 is preferably threadably connectedto the expression device 472 so that it may easily be attached anddetached. Movement of the flap valve 476 is tracked using accelerometer470. Data from the accelerometer is then processed, transmitted ordisplayed using any of the methods or means disclosed herein.

In other exemplary embodiments, the pumping devices described herein canutilize one or more beam-break sensors (e.g., infrared-based,laser-based, etc.) situated at a suitable location in the pumping device(e.g., in or near a valve, an exit port, or other component permittingfluid passage). The beam-break sensor can include a plurality of sensorcomponents and can be configured to detect passage of fluid between ornear one or more of the components. Preferably, the sensor can beconfigured to generate a signal when the expressed fluid breaks a beamby passing between a beam emitter and a beam detector. The resultantsignal can be used to produce measurement data indicative of the volumeof expressed fluid. For example, the measurement data can be based onthe length of time the fluid passes between or near the sensorcomponents.

FIG. 11D illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a milk expression devicethat employs a beam break sensor 477. The expression device 472 includesa breast interface 474 and a reservoir 462. The reservoir is threadablyor otherwise coupled 466 to the expression device. Any of the exemplaryembodiments of expression devices, interfaces, reservoirs, etc.disclosed in this specification may be used in this exemplary system. Abeam-break sensor 477 is disposed adjacent the output of the expressiondevice, and thus as droplets 468 of milk drain from the expressiondevice outlet into reservoir 462, they break the light beam 477 a,allowing measurement of the fluid expressed. The fluid collects in alayer 464 in reservoir 462. The data from the sensor can then beprocessed, transmitted, or otherwise displayed using any of the methodsdisclosed herein.

In another exemplary embodiment, the pumping devices described hereincan include one or more image sensors for capturing images of the fluidin order to quantify the expression volume, such as a charge-coupleddevice (CCD) or a camera. The image sensors may be integrated with orcoupled to a suitable portion of the pumping device. Conversely, theimage sensors can be located on another device separate from the pumpingdevice, such as a smartphone or other mobile device. In exemplaryembodiments, the breast interface includes a valve permitting thepassage of expressed fluid, as previously described herein, and asuitable image sensor is positioned on or near the valve in order tocapture images of fluid passing through the valve. Preferably, the imagesensor is operably coupled to a processing unit configured to analyzethe image data (e.g., using a suitable image analysis algorithm) inorder to determine the fluid volume. For example, the image sensors canbe used to capture images of drops of fluid, and the images can beanalyzed to count the number of drops. In some instances, the image datacan be transmitted to a computing device (e.g., a smartphone) foranalysis, as described in further detail below.

FIG. 11E illustrates an exemplary embodiment having a CCD device 479adjacent an outlet of the expression device. The expression device 472includes interface 474 and reservoir 462, either of which may be any ofthe embodiments disclosed herein. As milk 468 is expressed, it passesthrough the outlet of the expression device past CCD 479 which detectsthe fluid and allows quantification thereof as previously described. Themilk 468 then accumulates in a layer 464 in reservoir 462. Data from theCCD may then be processed, transmitted, or otherwise displayed using anyof the methods disclosed herein.

FIG. 11F illustrates an exemplary embodiment that uses an image of thereservoir to characterized the expressed milk. Once milk 468 has beencollected in reservoir 462, the reservoir may optionally be detachedfrom the expression device. A mobile phone or other device may then beused to take a photo 463 a of the reservoir which has a suitableapplication for analyzing the photo and determining how much milk hasbeen expressed, as well as optionally providing other details about theexpressed milk. The data is processed, transmitted, or otherwisedisplayed using any of the methods disclosed herein.

FIG. 11G illustrates an alternative embodiment of a photo sensor system.After milk 468 has been expressed and collected in a reservoir 462, acamera in the pump control unit 465 may be used to obtain an image ofthe milk in the reservoir and analyze it for quantity or othercharacteristics. The pump control 465 may be any of the pump controlsdescribed elsewhere in this applications, and the data may be processed,transmitted, or displayed using any of the methods disclosed herein.

In some exemplary embodiments, the pumping devices described herein canemploy one or more capacitive sensors for measuring fluid volume. Thecapacitive sensors can be configured to detect the volume of fluidcontained in any suitable portion of the pumping device, such as fluidcontained within a collection reservoir and/or within a breast interface(e.g., expression area 260, a component permitting passage of fluid fromthe interface such as a valve, exit port, or tube).

FIGS. 11H-11I illustrate exemplary embodiments of expression devicesthat use capacitive sensors. The expression device 472 may be any of theexpression devices disclosed herein and they have an interface 474 thatalso may be any of the interfaces disclosed in this specification. Areservoir 462 is threadably 466 or otherwise coupled to the expressiondevice and the reservoir may be any of the reservoirs described herein.As milk 468 is expressed and collected at the outlet of the expressiondevice, it passes through the capacitive sensor 475 which is then ableto measure fluid volume. FIG. 11I is similar to the embodiment in FIG.11H, with the major difference being that the capacitive sensor 475 a isdisposed in the reservoir 462 near the bottom, rather than in the outletof the expression device. The data from the sensor in either embodimentmay then be processed, transmitted, or displaying using any of thetechniques described herein.

In other exemplary embodiments, one or more strain gauges can be used tomeasure the volume of expressed fluid. The strain gauges can be situatedat any suitable position in the pumping device. For example, a straingauge can be coupled to a flap valve (or any other valve permittingpassage of expressed fluid) and configured to determine the volume basedon the displacement of the valve over time. Alternatively or inaddition, a strain gauge can be coupled to a collection reservoir andconfigured to measure the volume of expressed fluid contained within thereservoir.

FIG. 11J illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a strain gauge. Theexpression device 472 includes an interface 474 and reservoir 462threadably 466 or otherwise coupled thereto. Any portion of this systemmay be any of the components described elsewhere in this specification.As milk is expressed 468 it accumulates in the outlet of the expressiondevice. Eventually, the weight of the accumulated milk is sufficient toactuate and open flap valve 476. A strain gauge 481 is coupled to theflap valve and this sensor is then used to collect data on movement ofthe valve and therefore this correlates to the collected fluid. Thefluid accumulates in a layer 464 in reservoir 462. The data from thesensor is then processed, transmitted, or displayed using any of themethods disclosed herein.

FIG. 11K illustrates an alternative embodiment of a strain gauge sensor.This embodiment generally takes the same form as the previous embodimentwith the major difference being that the collected fluid layer 464 isdisposed over a plate 483 which bears the weight of the collected fluid.Thus, as the weight increases or decreases, a strain gauge 481 adisposed under the plate 483 detects the weight change and this can becorrelated to the collected fluid volume. Data from the sensor is thenprocessed, transmitted, or displayed according to any of the methodsdisclosed herein.

FIG. 11L illustrates an exemplary embodiment that uses a scale toquantify the weight of the expressed milk. The reservoir 462 containingthe expressed milk 464 may be uncoupled from the expression device andplaced on a scale 490. The scale can measure the weight of the reservoircontaining the milk, and can be configured to subtract the weight of anempty reservoir in order to calculate the weight of the expressed milk.The scale may have a stored calibration curve that can be used toconvert the measured weight to a corresponding fluid volume.Alternatively, the scale may allow the user to enter in the fluid volumeof the expressed milk, and calculate the corresponding density of theexpressed milk. The scale may comprise a display screen 491, which maydisplay one or more of the weight, fluid volume, or density of the milk.The scale may be configured to communicate with a peripheral device suchas a controller 500 of the breast milk expression device or a computingdevice as described in further detail herein.

In some embodiments, the composition of the milk expressed by thepumping device may be quantified by a sensor unit provided with thepumping device. The composition of breast milk can be valuableinformation for understanding whether an infant is obtaining theappropriate amount of nutrition via the milk. This information can helpmothers or clinicians identify whether additional nutrition should besupplied to the infant. Components of breast milk considered to benutritionally important include carbohydrates such as glucose andlactose, fats such as triglycerides, proteins such as lactoferrin,organic acids such as taurine, vitamins such as vitamin D, and mineralssuch as zinc, copper, and iron.

FIGS. 23A and 23B illustrate exemplary embodiments of a sensor unit forquantifying the composition of expressed milk using an enzyme assay. Atest strip 2302 contains one or more enzymes that can react with targetcomponents of the breast milk. For example, the test strip may containglucose oxidase to help detect glucose and/or beta-galactosidase to helpdetect lactose. The test strip may have a unique identifier that matchesthe unique identifier of the reservoir. One or more drops of the breastmilk, expressed using the breast milk expression device as describedherein, can be placed on the test strip, and the test strip cansubsequently be inserted into the sensor unit. The user interface of thesensor unit may prompt the user to enter or scan the unique identifierof the reservoir or of the test strip, so that the data from theanalysis may be digitally coupled to the expressed milk from aparticular pumping session. Once the unique identifier is entered orscanned into the system, the user may select an option to run the teststrip analysis from the user interface. The sensor unit compriseselectrodes that can detect an electrical current produced by theenzymatic activity that results as the components of the breast milk arehydrolyzed by the enzymes contained in the test strip. The electricalcurrent detected by the sensor unit can be converted into a numericalvalue denoting the relative amount of one or more components of thebreast milk, using a calibration curve stored on the sensing unit. Thecomposition of the milk may be presented as one or more of aconcentration or percentage of the one or more components being testedby the enzymes on the test strip. The composition data can be digitallycoupled to the unique identifier of the expressed milk, and then storedon a local drive of the sensor unit or of a peripheral device coupled tothe sensor unit, via wired communication such as via a USB cable.Alternatively or in combination, the composition data digitally coupledto the unique identifier may be stored on a remote, or cloud, server,wherein the data may be transmitted to the server via wirelesscommunication such as Bluetooth or WiFi.

FIG. 23A illustrates a stand-alone sensor unit 2300 a having its ownuser interface. The user interface may be presented to the user througha display screen with an alphanumeric keyboard input, or through a touchscreen display 2304. The test strip 2302, having one or more drops ofbreast milk placed thereon, may be inserted into a port 2306 of thesensor unit 2300 a. After entering or scanning in the unique identifierof the reservoir or of the test strip, the user may run the analysis,and the results of the analysis may be displayed on the display of thesensor unit.

FIG. 23B illustrates a sensor unit 2300 b that is configured to beremovably coupled to and controlled by a peripheral device 2310 such asa smart phone, tablet or other mobile device. The sensor unit 2300 bcomprises a connector 2312 that inserts into a port 2314 of theperipheral device, such as a headphone port. The peripheral device maycomprise a controller of the pumping device or a computing device suchas a mobile phone, tablet, or personal computer. The peripheral devicecomprises an application programmed to provide the user interface of thesensor unit. The user may insert the test strip 2302 having the drops ofbreast milk placed thereon into a port 2306 of the sensor unit 2300 b.After entering or scanning in the unique identifier of the reservoir orof the test strip, the user may run the analysis of the test stripthrough the user interface presented by the peripheral device.

FIG. 24 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a sensor unit configuredto quantify the composition of expressed milk using spectroscopy. Thesensor unit 2400 comprises an emitter such as a light-emitting diode, asample holder 2406, and a detector such a thermal detector or photonicdetector. For example, the sensor unit may comprise a mid-infraredtransmission spectrometer. The emitter emits light or energy through thesample, and the detector measures the light or energy emissions from thesample and converts the readout to concentrations and/or percentages ofthe compounds of interest. After a pumping session, the user maytransfer a small volume of the expressed milk from the reservoir to asample container 2402, such as a tube or a cuvette, wherein the samplecontainer may comprise a unique identifier that matches the uniqueidentifier of the reservoir. The sample container with the milk can thenbe inserted into the sample holder of the sensor unit, and analyzed forthe presence of certain compounds in the breast milk. The sensor unit2400 may be a stand-alone unit with its own user interface, or it may beremovably couplable to a peripheral device 2404 such as a mobile phone,table, or other device, having an application programmed to provide theuser interface. As described herein, the sensor may digitally couple theobtained composition data to the unique identifier, and store thecoupled data either locally or remotely.

Other exemplary embodiments of the breast milk composition sensor mayinclude devices that can detect the presence of various components ofbreast milk via thin-layer chromatography, colorimetry, electroniccounting, chemiluminescence, nephelometry, biuret reagent assays, andmultispectral imaging. Specific algorithms may be generated in order toincrease the accuracy of the readouts. These and other devices for thequantification of breast milk composition may be integrated with theexpression device as described herein or may be provided as separateunits that can be stand-alone devices or devices configured to beconnected to a peripheral device for operation.

In exemplary embodiments, some or all of the measurement data collectedby the sensors can be fed back to the pumping device in order tooptimize fluid expression. Preferably, the feedback can be transmittedto a processing unit and/or control unit of the pumping device (e.g.,suitable hardware located in the controller 115) configured to controlone or more functionalities of the actuation assembly. Based on thefeedback, the processing unit can determine changes to actuationparameters of the actuation assembly in order to achieve and/or maintainoptimal fluid expression. For example, the feedback can be used todetermine adjustments to a vacuum stroke or stroke speed of a pump,piston assembly, or any other suitable actuation assembly.

FIG. 21 illustrates an exemplary expression system with feedbackcontrol. The system includes a pump unit 2100 preferably including acontroller and processor 2104 as well as a motor 2102 for actuating thedevice, and a distal assembly 2110 which is sized and shaped to matewith the target anatomy, here a breast 2112. Any of the elements in thisexemplary system may be any of the components disclosed elsewhere inother exemplary embodiments. In this embodiment, feedback 2106 from thesensor which monitors expressed milk in the expression device 2110 istransmitted from the distal assembly (expression device with interface)to the controller and processor 2104. The data is processed and thisinformation is used to provide instructions to motor 2102 whichincreases or decreases actuation of the expression device which is thentransmitted by communication 2108 back to the expression device ordistal assembly 2110. Any of the embodiments in this specification mayinclude such a feedback loop.

FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a controller 500 for apumping device including a display screen 505. The controller 500 caninclude suitable hardware for collecting, processing, and storing themilk expression data described herein, as well as analysis resultsobtained from processing the expression data. In preferred embodiments,this information is displayed to a user of the pumping device via thedisplay screen 505. Furthermore, information can also be transmittedfrom the controller 500 and displayed on a separate computing device,such as a mobile device 510, as described in further detail below. Theinformation can be presented in any suitable format, including graphs,charts, tables, images, or other visual elements, and may be static ordynamic (e.g., updated in real time, etc.). The controller 500 can alsosend information about the times of pump usage to the mobile phone 510so that the mobile application can identify when pumping has occurredand set reminders at desired pumping times. Such reminders can helpavoid missed pumping sessions, and thus reduce the incidence ofassociated complications such as mastitis. Additionally, the controller500 can include input devices enabling users to interact with thedisplayed information, such as the button 515, as well as keyboards,joysticks, touchscreens, switches, or knobs, or suitable combinationsthereof.

In some embodiments, the results of the milk composition analysis mayprovide feedback to the user. For example, if the concentration of acritical nutritional component of the milk is found to be present atlevels lower than a specific threshold value, the user interface of thesensor unit may display a warning message to the user. The thresholdvalues for the various components of the milk may be calibrated by thesensor unit based on the weight of the infant and the weight of themother. The feedback messages from the sensor unit may be shared by theuser with clinicians via e-mail or short messaging service (SMS), or maybe stored onto the data array for the corresponding unique identifier,so that clinicians may access and review the information remotely via aconnection through a cloud server.

Communication with Computing Devices

In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the pumping devicesdescribed herein can be configured to communicate with another entity,such as one or more computing devices and/or servers. Exemplarycomputing devices include personal computers, laptops, tablets, andmobile devices (e.g., smartphones, cellular phones). The serversdescribed herein can be implemented across physical hardware,virtualized computing resources (e.g., virtual machines), or anysuitable combination thereof. In preferred embodiments, the servers aredistributed computing servers (also known as cloud servers) utilizingany suitable combination of public and/or private distributed computingresources. The computing devices and/or servers may be in closeproximity to the pumping device (short range communication), or may besituated remotely from the pumping device (long range communication).Any description herein relating to communication between a computingdevice and a pumping device can also be applied to communication betweena server and a pumping device, and vice-versa.

FIG. 13 illustrates short range communication 515 between the controller500 of a pumping device and mobile device 510. The communication 515 canutilize wireless communication methods, as described below. In manyembodiments, the controller 500 and mobile device 510 are also capableof long range communication.

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of a pumping device 800 incommunication with a computing device 805 and a server 810. The pumpingdevice 800 includes one or more breast interfaces 815, an actuationassembly 820, a sensing unit 825, and a communication module 835.Preferably, the communication module 830 is implemented across suitablehardware within a controller of the pumping device (e.g., controller500). The pumping device 800 can communicate with the computing device805 and server 810 via the communication module 830. In manyembodiments, the communication module 830 is communicably coupled to thecomputing device 805 and server 810 via first and second dataconnections 835, 840. Furthermore, the server 810 can be communicablycoupled to the computing device 805 via a third data connection 845.Although the pumping device 800 is depicted herein as communicatingdirectly with the computing device 805 and the server 810, otherconfigurations are also possible. For example, the pumping device 800may communicate with the server 810 indirectly via the computing device805, or vice-versa. Conversely, the server 810 may communicate with thepumping device 800 indirectly via the computing device 805, and thecomputing device 805 may communicate with the pumping device 800 via theserver 810. Any description herein related to communication between thepumping device 800, the computing device 805, or server 810 can beapplied to direct communication as well as indirect communicationbetween these entities.

The data connections 835, 840, and 845 can utilize any communicationmethod suitable for transmitting data between the pumping device 800,the computing device 805, and server 810. Such communication methods caninclude wired communication (e.g., wires, cables such as USB cables,fiber optics) and/or wireless communication (Bluetooth®, WiFi, nearfield communication). In many embodiments, data can be transmitted overone or more networks, such as local area networks (LANs), wide areanetworks (WANs), telecommunications networks, the Internet, or suitablecombinations thereof.

In exemplary embodiments, the pumping device 800 transmits milkexpression data to the computing device 805 or server 810 (directly orindirectly). The milk expression data can include measurement datagenerated by the sensing unit 825 of the pumping device 800, aspreviously described herein. In many embodiments, the pumping device 800analyzes the measurement data (e.g., using suitable onboard hardwareand/or software) and transmits the analysis results to the computingdevice 805 or server 810. Alternatively, the measurement data can beanalyzed by the computing device 805 or server 810, such as using one ormore applications. The computing device 805 or server 810 may beassociated with data stores for storage of the measurement data and/oranalysis results.

The applications (of the computing device 805 or server 810) can alsocollect and aggregate the measurement data and/or analysis results anddisplay them in a suitable format to a user (e.g., charts, tables,graphs, images, etc.), as previously described herein. Preferably, theapplication includes additional features that allow the user to overlayinformation such as lifestyle choices, diet, and strategies forincreasing milk production, in order to facilitate the comparison ofsuch information with milk production statistics. The mobile applicationcan also include features that allow the user to control aspects of thepump, such as pump power and pump states (e.g., let-down and stimulatemodes), adjust expression pressure and speed, and adjust the size of abreast interface, where the breast interface is automaticallyadjustable. The application may also have resources for breast feedingmoms, such as advice or connection to advice, social aspects such aspeer comparisons, and an accessory store for acquiring accessories forthe pump. The analysis and display functionalities described herein maybe performed by a single entity, or by any suitable combination ofentities. For example, in many embodiments, data analysis can be carriedout by the server 810, and the analysis results transmitted to thepumping device 800 or computing device 805 for display to the user.

Additionally, the computing device 805 or server 810 can include anapplication configured to control at least one functionality of thepumping device 800 or a portion thereof (e.g., the actuation assembly820), such as power, vacuum pressure applied (via the interfaces 815),or speed. For example, the communication module 830 can receive controlsignals from the computing device 805 and/or sever 810, and transmit thecontrol signals to the actuation assembly 820 to produce the desiredactuation. In preferred embodiments, the control signals can begenerated using feedback provided by the pumping device 800, such asfeedback based on measurement data provided by the sensing unit 825, aspreviously described herein. Additionally, the computing device 805 orserver 810 may implement machine learning techniques with regard tocontrol of the pumping device 800, in order to improve and optimizepumping performance over time.

Furthermore, the pumping device 800, computing device 805, and/or server810 can be configured to provide notifications reminding the user toexpress milk. Such notifications can help avoid missed pumping sessions,and thus reduce the incidence of associated complications such asmastitis. The notifications can be generated based on previouslycollected milk expression data, such as data relating to expressionfrequency and/or the timing of previous pumping sessions, as well asbased on user preferences. Preferably, the notification functionality isincluded in a suitable application running on the computing device 805or server 810. For example, the pumping device 800 can send informationabout the times of pump usage to the computing device 805 or server 810,so that the application can identify when pumping has occurred and setreminders at desired pumping times.

The notifications can be provided using any suitable method and in anysuitable format. For example, the notifications can be generated by thecomputing device 805 or server 810, transmitted to the pumping device800 (e.g., to the communication module 830), and displayed to the user(e.g., on a display of the pumping device 800, such as the displayscreen 505). Conversely, the notifications can be generated by thepumping device 800 and transmitted to the computing device 805 and/orserver 810. In many embodiments, the notifications are displayed to theuser by the computing device 805. Alternatively, the pumping device 800,computing device 805 and/or sever 810 can provide the notifications tothe user using other methods. For example, the notifications can be sentto an email address, via short message service (SMS) to a smartphone orother mobile device associated with a cellular phone number, or to a webpage accessible by the user.

Other types of data can also be transmitted between the pumping device800, computing device 805, and/or server 810. For example, in manyembodiments, firmware updates for one or more components of the pumpingdevice 800 can be transmitted to the pumping device 800 from thecomputing device 805 and/or server 810.

FIG. 17 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a system forexpression of milk or for monitoring other fluids. The system 1700includes a pump unit 1702, a distal assembly 1706 (sometimes alsoreferred to as an interface in this specification), wirelesscommunication transmitters and receivers 1709, 1712, a computing device1714 and a remote server 1718. The pump unit 1702 may be any of the pumpunits described in this specification or known in the art, and thedistal assembly 1708 also may be any of those described herein or knownin the art. The distal assembly 1706 is preferably sized and shaped toconform to the target anatomy, which in this exemplary embodiment is abreast 1708. The pump unit 1702 actuates 1704 the distal assembly 1706to cause expression of milk from breast 1708 using any of the actuationmechanism disclosed herein. A transmitter 1709 is preferably disposed onthe pump unit or adjacent thereto and is configured to transmit data1710 (or any other data generated, e.g. expressed milk data) from thepump unit to a receiver 1712 on the computing device 1714. The data maybe transmitted wirelessly using methods known in the art such as thosedisclosed in this specification. In alternative embodiments, a hardconnection such as with a USB cable may be used to operably couple thepump 1702 and computing device 1714 together. The computing device maybe a smart phone, tablet, personal computer, or any other electroniccomputing device that can display the data transmitted from the pumpunit 1702. The computing device may also transmit information back tothe pump unit to help control operation of the distal assembly. Thecomputing device 1714 may also communicate 1716 with a remote server1718 which may store or display the data. Access to the remote service1718 may be by the Internet or by other means known in the art and thusthe cloud based data may be readily accessed from any other device withInternet access.

FIG. 18 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a system 1800 forexpression of milk. In this embodiment, the system 1800 includes a pumpunit 1802, a distal assembly 1806 and a cloud based or remote server1812. The pump unit 1802 may be any of the pumps disclosed herein and itis operably coupled with the distal assembly 1806 which is sized andshaped to conform to the target, such as breast 1808. The distalassembly may be any of the distal assemblies described herein. The pumpunit 1802 actuates 1804 the distal assembly using any of the mechanismsdisclosed herein to cause expression of milk from breast 1808. The pumpunit 1802 also includes a transmitter and receiver 1809 for transmittingpump data 1810 or any other data generated (e.g. expressed milk data) toa remove server 1812, which in this embodiment is a cloud based server.Thus, the data may be transmitted to the remote service via theInternet, and accessed from the cloud based server by the pump 1802 orany other computing device via the Internet. Preferably communicationwith the cloud based server is by wireless communication.

FIGS. 19A-19C illustrate exemplary computing device displays 1904. Forexample, FIG. 19A illustrates an exemplary display on a mobile phone1902 and graphically illustrates milk production, the time of the lastpumping session, a graphic of goal attainment, and a graphicillustrating the fluid consumption of the user. Additionally, thedisplay 1904 may also provide user encouragement or user feedback basedon the amount of milk production. FIG. 19B is an enlarged view of thedisplay 1904 in FIG. 19A. FIG. 19C illustrates additional informationthat the display 1904 may show when a touch screen is actuated (e.g. byswiping or touching the screen). For example, the volume of the milkexpressed is indicated after the “Last Pumping Session” section of thedisplay is selected. Some or all items may be expanded, as alsoindicated in FIG. 19C. Additional information, or in some situations,less information may be displayed as desired.

FIGS. 20A-20B illustrate other exemplary displays which may be used in amilk expression system. For example, FIG. 20A is an exemplary display2002 on any of the computing devices disclosed herein and operablycoupled with the pump unit. The display may indicate an average volumeof milk expressed over any time period, along with an average durationof the expression session during that same time period. Graphics may beused (e.g. bar chart, pie chart, x-y plot, etc.) to show volumeexpressed during individual sessions over the course of several days,here Monday through Friday. The display may allow a user to annotate thedisplay so that missed sessions may be accounted for, for example if asession is omitted due to traveling, the display may show travel duringthat time period. Other annotations may also be made, such as whencertain foods or nutritional supplements are taken, here hops orfenugreek. This allows the user to recall when expressed milk sampleswere obtained relative to the consumption of the food or nutritionalsupplements. The display may have other functional buttons such as forobtaining tips, accessing the cloud, setting an alarm, making notes,storing data, or establishing system preferences. Communication betweenthe computing device and the pump unit in FIGS. 20A-20B is discussedmore thoroughly above in relation to FIG. 13.

FIG. 20B illustrates an exemplary display 2004 that may be on acomputing device in the system, or more preferably that is on any of thepumps disclosed herein. The display 2004 is similar to a dashboard stylegauge and indicates the volume of fluid expressed and collected and thetime. Other information may also be displayed including but not limitedto that disclosed herein.

Inventory Tracking and Management

The relatively short shelf-life of expressed breast milk, combined withthe fluctuating supply and demand of the milk over time, can posechallenges for the mother in building and maintaining an inventory ofmilk. The breast milk expression device described herein may be providedas a system having features that facilitate the tracking and managementof an inventory of expressed milk.

FIG. 25 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a milk expression andinventory management system 2500. The system comprises a breast milkexpression device 2502 fluidly coupled to a collection reservoir 2506having a unique identifier 2508 as described herein, where the uniqueidentifier may be pre-labeled onto the reservoir or may be manuallylabeled by the user. The reservoir may comprise a bottle and/or a bag,and can be removably coupled to the expression device to receive andcollect the expressed milk. The system may comprise an integrated sensorunit 2504 integrated with the expression device 2502 as describedherein, for example by being affixed to an exit valve or flap valve ofthe expression device. The sensor unit may comprise one or more of anyof the sensors described herein. For example, the sensor unit maymeasure the volume of milk expressed during the pump session, or theconcentration of one or more compounds of breast milk. Alternatively orin combination with the integrated sensor unit 2504, the system maycomprise a separate sensor unit 2505, which can be used to characterizethe expressed milk after the milk has been collected in the reservoir2506. The system further comprises a peripheral device 2510 connected tothe expression device, the peripheral device having suitable hardwarefor collecting, processing, and storing the milk expression data asdescribed herein, as well as for analyzing the results obtained fromprocessing the expression data. The peripheral device may also collectbasic pump session data during expression, such as the time and date ofthe pump session and the duration of pumping. The peripheral device maybe a controller of the expression device, and/or a computing device suchas a mobile phone, tablet, or personal computer having an applicationprogrammed to control and/or communicate with the expression device.

FIG. 27 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a milk expressionand inventory management system 2700. The system comprises an expressiondevice 2702 such as any expression device described herein, a collectionreservoir 2706 fluidly coupled to the expression device, and aperipheral device 2710 operably coupled to the expression device and/orthe collection reservoir. The expression device may optionally comprisean integrated sensor unit 2704 a, such as any sensor unit as describedherein, configured to be integrated with the expression device. Inaddition, the collection reservoir may optionally comprise an integratedsensor unit 2704 b, such as any sensor unit as described herein,configured to be integrated with the collection reservoir. Theintegrated sensor unit can be configured to measure one or moreattributes of the expressed milk during the pumping session, such as thevolume of expressed milk or the concentration of one or more componentsof breast milk. If the collection reservoir is also used as the storagereservoir, the integrated sensor unit can also be configured to measurethe volume of the milk during and/or after feeding the milk to a child.In such embodiments, the integrated sensor unit can not only measure thevolume of milk expressed into a collection reservoir, but also measurethe volume of milk exiting the collection/storage reservoir andtherefore the volume of milk remaining in the reservoir after a feedingsession. The system may optionally comprise a separate sensor unit 2705as described herein, the separate sensor unit configured to characterizethe expressed milk after the milk has been collected in the reservoir2706. The expression device, the one or more integrated sensing units,and the separate sensor unit may be in communication with the peripheraldevice via wired or wireless connections. The system may furthercomprise a server 2712 in communication with the peripheral deviceand/or the expression device via a wireless connection. The collectionreservoir may comprise a unique identifier 2708 a as described herein,which may be pre-labeled onto the reservoir and/or labeled onto thereservoir by the user. The collection reservoir may be used as thestorage reservoir for the collected milk, wherein the opening thecollection reservoir may be securely sealed and the collection reservoirmay be transferred to a storage location (e.g., refrigerator orfreezer). Optionally, the system may comprise one or more storagereservoirs 2707 separate from the collection reservoir, such that a usermay transfer milk collected in the collection reservoir to a storagereservoir after expression of the milk. The separate storage reservoir2707 may comprise a unique identifier 2708 b such as any uniqueidentifier described herein, which may be pre-labeled onto the storagereservoir or manually labeled by the user.

During a pump session, an integrated sensor unit can collect data bymeasuring one or more attributes of the breast milk as it is expressedand collected in the collection reservoir. When the pump session iscomplete, the sensor unit can send the collected data to the peripheraldevice, where the data may be digitally coupled to the basic pumpsession data. The peripheral device can then prompt the user if shewould like to add the milk expressed during this session to herinventory. If the user selects the option to add the milk to theinventory, the peripheral device can prompt the user to provide theunique identifier of the reservoir, for example by manually entering ina user-assigned code or by scanning in a pre-printed label. For example,the reservoir may comprise a bag having a pre-printed QR code, andproviding the unique identifier may comprise scanning the QR code with amobile phone running a QR code scanning application. When the peripheraldevice obtains the unique identifier for the milk expressed during thepump session, the unique identifier can be digitally coupled to the datagathered for the pump session, including the time and date of the pumpsession, duration of pumping, volume of expressed milk, and/orcompositional attributes of the expressed milk.

The expressed milk may also be analyzed after the pump session has beencompleted, using the separate sensor unit. The sensor unit may be astand-alone unit with its own user interface, or it may be a unitconfigured to be coupled to and operated by the peripheral device. Asmall sample of the milk may be removed from the reservoir and testedusing the sensor unit as described in further detail elsewhere in thisspecification. The sensor unit may prompt the user to provide the uniqueidentifier of the sample (from the reservoir or from the test strip orsample container), and the data generated by the sensor unit may then bedigitally coupled to the unique identifier. The digitally coupled datamay be transmitted to the peripheral device via a wired connection orwireless connection. The peripheral device may further bundle the datatransmitted from the separate sensor unit with the data for the uniqueidentifier already stored on the peripheral device, such as the basicpump session data and data generated from an integrated sensor unit.

The complete array of the bundled data may be stored on a local drive ofthe peripheral device, such as the local drive of the controller or of acomputing device in communication with the controller. Alternatively orin combination, the bundled data may be stored on a remote server,wherein the data may be transmitted to the remote server from theperipheral device via a wireless connection as described in detailelsewhere in this specification.

For dual expression devices, i.e., devices comprising two breastinterfaces and two corresponding collection reservoirs, each reservoirmay have a distinct unique identifier, and fluid collection,quantification, and inventory management may be performed separately formilk expressed from each breast. Alternatively, if the user combines themilk expressed from the two breasts into a single reservoir (e.g., oneof the collection reservoirs or a separate storage reservoir), a singleunique identifier may be associated with the combined milk from bothbreasts, stored in the single reservoir.

In embodiments wherein the unique identifier comprises an RFID tag, thepump system may further comprise an RFID reader configured tocommunicate with one or more of the peripheral device and the server.The RFID reader may be a stand-alone device disposed at a convenientlocation for tracking milk storage reservoirs as they are added to andremoved from storage locations (e.g., attached to the door of therefrigerator/freezer, placed on a kitchen counter, etc.). Alternatively,the RFID reader may be integrated with one or more devices of thesystem, such as the peripheral device or an organizer system for themilk storage reservoirs, as described in further detail elsewhereherein. The RFID reader may be configured to communicate with theperipheral device and/or the server via a wired or wireless dataconnection. When the RFID reader scans an RFID tag associated with astorage reservoir, the reader may directly access the milk inventorystored on the peripheral device and/or the server and make appropriateupdates to the inventory as described herein. Alternatively or incombination, the RFID reader may send information regarding the detectedchanges in inventory to the application of the peripheral device. Thisinformation may be presented to the user via the application in realtime, or periodically at pre-determined times of the day. The user maybe prompted to acknowledge the updates to the inventory, or confirm thatthe updates should be made. Optionally, the RFID reader may comprisemeans for users to provide inputs regarding the destination of a scannedstorage reservoir. For example, after scanning a storage reservoir, theuser may be prompted to push a button disposed on the RFID reader toindicate whether the scanned reservoir is to be placed in therefrigerator/freezer (storage), in the garbage (dispose), or in thebaby's belly (fed). The RFID reader may accordingly update the inventorywith changes, if any, in the storage location of the scanned inventoryitem.

FIG. 28 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a label printer 2800which may be optionally incorporated to generate labels for storagereservoirs. The label printer can be configured to print labels 2805comprising one or more unique identifiers that are recognizable by humaneye, such as alphanumeric text codes. For example, the text codes maycomprise a date code 2810 and/or an inventory code 2815. Optionally, thelabels may additionally comprise a machine-readable identifier that ispre-printed or otherwise provided on the labels, such as a bar code, QRcode, or RFID tag 2820. The label printer can be further configured tocommunicate with a peripheral device, a server, or both, via a wired orwireless data connection, to access and update the milk inventory storedon either or both of the peripheral device and the server. To generate alabel for a new storage reservoir, a user may simply press a buttondisposed on the printer. The one or more unique identifiers of thereservoir on the newly printed label may be provided to the applicationof the peripheral device via the data connection, thereby generating anew inventory item in the inventory corresponding to the storagereservoir. Optionally, the label printer may comprise a plurality ofbuttons 2825 each indicating a different storage location for thestorage reservoir, and the user may push a button corresponding to thedesired storage location to print the label. In such a configuration,the label printer can automatically update the inventory item with thestorage location of the reservoir. The printed labels may be configuredto adhere to a storage reservoir, for example by way of an adherent backside, such that the user can affix the printed label to the storagereservoir containing the expressed milk. The labeled reservoir can thenbe placed in the appropriate storage location. The label printer cansimplify the generation of unique identifiers and automate the creationof new inventory items based on the newly generated identifiers.Further, the human-readable identifiers provided on the printed labelscan assist a user in selecting the desired storage reservoir, byfacilitating visual identification of desired reservoir.

FIG. 29 shows an exemplary method 2900 of adding an item to a breastmilk inventory. In step 2905, pump session data and/or milk attributedata are collected during a pump session. The pump session data may becollected by a peripheral device in communication with the expressiondevice, and may comprise the date and time of pumping and the durationof pumping, for example. The milk attribute data may be collected by anintegrated sensor unit disposed on one or both of the expression deviceand the collection reservoir, and may comprise the volume of expressedmilk and/or the composition of the expressed milk.

In step 2910, following the completion of the pump session, the pumpsession data and/or the milk attribute data are recorded in a pumpsession log. The pump session log, which can maintain a record of everypump session performed by the expression device, may be stored on alocal drive of the peripheral device and/or on a remote server. Inpreferred embodiments, the peripheral device provides an inventorymanagement application, programmed to track and manage the user's breastmilk inventory. The application may comprise the same application thatis used to control and/or communicate with the expression device, or theapplication may be a separate application that can be incorporated withany breast milk expression device, including commercially availablesystems. The application can be programmed to display information,prompt user action, and receive user input regarding milk inventorymanagement. The user may access and view pump session data, milkattribute data, and/or the pump session log through the application.

In step 2915, the application determines whether the expressed milk isto be fed, stored, or discarded. For example, the application may promptthe user to select an action (feed, store, or discard). Alternatively,the application may obtain the information from another device incommunication with the peripheral device, such as an RFID readercomprising user inputs for indicating the destination of a scannedstorage reservoir as described herein. Alternatively, the applicationmay comprise instructions to determine this information automatically.For example, the application may be programmed to assume that theexpressed milk is to be stored if the child has been fed within acertain time window (e.g., 1 hour) from the current pump session, or theapplication may be programmed to assume that the expressed milk is to bediscarded if the milk attribute data indicates that the expressed milkis unsuitable for feeding (e.g., alcohol level exceeds a pre-setthreshold).

In step 2920, wherein the expressed milk is fed to the child, volume ofmilk consumed by the child is obtained, and a feed log for the user isupdated accordingly. The application may prompt the user to input thevolume of consumed or remaining milk, or the volume of consumed orremaining milk may be automatically determined via one or more methodsas described herein, such as via a reservoir comprising an integratedsensing unit. The feed log, which can help a user maintain a record ofher child's feeding sessions, may then record information related to thefeeding session, such as the date and time of feeding, the volume ofmilk consumed, the expression date of the milk consumed, etc. The feedlog may be stored on a local drive of the peripheral device and/or of aremote server.

In step 2925, the application determines, based on step 2920, whetherall of the expressed milk has been consumed. In step 2930, wherein allof the expressed milk has been consumed, no updates are made to the milkinventory. If the expressed milk has not been completely consumed andthe volume of remaining expressed milk is non-zero, the user may bedirected back to step 2915, wherein the user is prompted to select anaction for the remaining milk.

In step 2935, wherein the expressed milk is stored for later feeding, aunique identifier of the storage reservoir for the expressed milk isobtained from the user. For example, the user may be prompted tomanually provide a user-assigned, human-readable code through theapplication, the user may generate an identifier by printing a labelusing a label printer as described herein, or the user may scan in amachine-readable code (e.g., scan a bar code or a QR code with a mobilephone, or scan an RFID tag with an RFID reader). The obtained uniqueidentifier is then digitally coupled with the pump session data and/ormilk attribute data for the expressed milk. If the expressed milk hasbeen partially fed to the child, the milk attribute data associated withthe unique identifier can comprise the remaining volume of expressedmilk after feeding. Optionally, the storage location of the milk mayalso be obtained, for example by prompting the user to provide thestorage location through the application, or by obtaining theinformation from another device configured to receive user input (suchas a label printer or milk organizer as described herein). The obtainedstorage location may then be associated with the unique identifier.

In step 2940, the milk inventory is updated with the milk associatedwith the unique identifier in step 2935. The unique identifier may ormay not already exist in the inventory, depending on whether the userhas placed the freshly expressed milk in a new storage reservoir with anew unique identifier, or has combined the freshly expressed milk withpreviously expressed milk already present in the inventory (e.g., milkexpressed during previous pumping sessions in the same calendar day). Ifthe unique identifier does not already exist in the inventory, a newinventory item associated with the unique identifier can be created andadded to the inventory. If the unique identifier already exists in theinventory, the inventory item associated with the unique identifier canbe updated to incorporate the information for the freshly expressedmilk. For example, the volume of milk for the inventory item can beincreased by the volume of the freshly expressed milk.

In step 2945, wherein the expressed milk is discarded, no updates aremade to the feed log or the inventory, though the pump session dataand/or the milk attribute data may still be recorded in the pump sessionlog.

The steps of method 2900 are provided as an example of a method ofadding an item to a milk inventory in accordance with embodiments. Aperson of ordinary skill in the art will recognize many variations andmodifications of method 2900 based on the disclosure provided herein.For example, some steps may be added or removed. One or more steps maybe performed in a different order than as illustrated in FIG. 29. Someof the steps may comprise sub-steps. Many of the steps may be repeatedas many times as appropriate or necessary.

When the stored milk is ready to be fed to an infant, the user mayutilize the peripheral device to determine which batch of expressed milkto select. Inventory management by the peripheral device can follow afirst-in, first-out rule, wherein the first item to enter the inventoryis the first item to leave. Under this structure, the oldest expressedmilk in the inventory may be identified as the next to be fed.Exceptions may apply for milk in the inventory whose storage durationhas surpassed a pre-set limit on the length of time the milk may bestored. For example, if the inventory contains 10 batches of milkexpressed on consecutive days (day 1-day 10), but the storage durationlimit is set to 8 days, the batches expressed on days 1 and 2 may beidentified as batches to be discarded, and the batch expressed on day 3may be identified as the batch to be fed.

An application of the peripheral device may comprise an algorithm tosort through the inventory of milk and identify milk to be discardedand/or milk to be fed next. The algorithm can use the unique identifierassociated with each batch of expressed milk in order to manage theinventory. For example, the algorithm may compare the expression datefor each batch with the current date, calculate the difference in thenumber of days, sort the inventory by this calculated difference, andidentify the batch with the largest difference (falling under the expirythreshold) as the batch to be fed next.

For embodiments wherein the unique identifier comprises a user-assigned,manually labeled identifier, the peripheral device may simply presentthe selected unique identifier to the user via its display, and the usermay visually identify and select the bag bearing the correspondingidentifier from her inventory. The user can then withdraw therecommended bag from inventory so that the milk inventory is updated.This may be particularly helpful when milk is entered into inventory atone location and withdrawn from a second location. Also, the system canidentify expired milk and help ensure that it is discarded. Forembodiments wherein the unique identifier comprises a scannable code,such as a barcode or QR code, the application of the peripheral devicemay comprise an algorithm to help the user visually identify the bottleor bag presenting the selected unique identifier. For example, thealgorithm may scan a bag of expressed milk using a camera coupled to theperipheral device, identify the expression date of the bag via itsunique identifier, and determine whether or not the bag is the next tobe fed in the inventory. The algorithm can then overlay a label on thedisplay screen of the peripheral device to show the status of the bagwithin the inventory. For example, if the bag should be discarded, theoverlaid label can be a red X. If the bag is the next to be fed, theoverlaid label can be a green O or number 1. If the bag is the third inline to be fed, the overlaid label can be a green number 3.

The reservoirs containing the expressed milk may be stored in aconfiguration that facilitates the visualization of the reservoirs bythe user or by a peripheral device. FIG. 26 illustrates an exemplaryembodiment of a storage configuration 2600 for expressed milk reservoirs2602 having unique identifiers 2604. The bags 2602 can be disposed in aconfiguration that allows their unique identifiers to be visible fromthe top, as shown in the figure. The peripheral device can then be usedto visualize the entire inventory at the same time, displaying over eachunique identifier the overlaid screen label showing its inventorystatus, as described herein. The reservoirs may be bottles instead ofbags, and the unique identifiers may be disposed on the tops of thebottles for easy visualization.

In still other embodiments, an augmented reality system may facilitateinventory management. Once the expressed milk has been collected incontainers having a unique identifier, an operator may quickly scan theentire inventory to capture all the unique identifiers. An image of theinventory may be captured with a camera phone, or wearable computingdevice and an indicator may be generated by the system and overlaid ontop of the image of the inventory to indicate which container is to beused next, or which containers should be discarded. For example, a greenline may highlight the next container to use, while a red line mayindicate which containers to throw away. Other display units may also beused to help visualize the inventory management queues provided. Forexample, Google Glass may be used and to provide visual overlays orother visual cues to the user.

When the user confirms that the batch of milk bearing the selectedunique identifier has been fed to the infant and removed from theinventory, the data array associated with the unique identifier may beremoved from the live or available inventory.

FIGS. 30A-30B illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a storageconfiguration 3000 for storage reservoirs 3005 having one or more uniqueidentifiers 3010. FIG. 30A shows a perspective view of a storagereservoir organizer 3015, and FIG. 30B shows a side cross sectional viewof the organizer 3015 of FIG. 30A. In this configuration, a plurality ofstorage reservoirs can be stored stacked on top of one another withinthe organizer, as shown in FIG. 30B wherein the storage reservoirscomprise bags. The shape and dimensions of the organizer may differ fromthe illustrated embodiment, depending on the shape and dimensions of thestorage reservoirs. The organizer can be shaped and sized to have afootprint that substantially matches the footprint of a single storagereservoir in the storage configuration, such that a plurality of storagereservoirs can be stacked one on top of another. For example, if thestorage reservoirs comprise bottles, the organizer may have a narrowerfootprint and a greater height to accommodate the bottles laid on theirsides and stacked on top of one another. The reservoir organizer may beconfigured to fit within a compartment of a refrigerator or freezer,such as on a shelf or in the door. A user may place a storage reservoirinside the reservoir organizer through a top opening 3040 at the top ofthe organizer, wherein the top opening may be sized to receive thestorage reservoirs one at a time. Accordingly, the first reservoir to beplaced in the organizer, containing the oldest milk, can end up at thebottom of the stack of reservoirs, whereas the last reservoir to beplaced in the organizer, containing the newest milk, can end up at thetop of the stack. The organizer can comprise a bottom opening 3020 atthe bottom of the organizer, through which the reservoir at the bottomof the stack may be withdrawn. Thus, the stacked storage configurationcan facilitate a first-in, first-out system of organization for theexpressed breast milk, wherein the user first removes the reservoircontaining the oldest expressed milk.

Optionally, any of the milk storage configurations described herein mayincorporate features to automate one or more aspects of inventorytracking and management. For example, as shown in FIG. 30A, a storagereservoir organizer may comprise an integrated RFID reader 3025configured to scan a storage reservoir as it enters and/or exits theorganizer. As described herein, the RFID reader may be configured tocommunicate with one or more of a peripheral device and a server havingthe milk inventory stored thereon, so as to access and update theinventory when the reader scans a storage reservoir comprising an RFIDtag. When a user places a new storage reservoir comprising an RFID tag3030 into the organizer, the RFID reader can read the RFID tag, andsubsequently update the inventory with the storage location of theinventory item and/or send an alert to the application to notify theuser of the detected change in inventory. Likewise, when a user removesa storage reservoir from the organizer, the scanning of the reservoir'sRFID tag with RFID reader can trigger the reader to update the inventoryaccordingly.

Any milk storage configuration as described herein may also optionallyincorporate an integrated sensing unit to automatically determine one ormore attributes of the milk placed into the organizer. For example, asshown in FIG. 30B, a storage reservoir organizer may comprise anintegrated weight sensor 3035, configured to measure the weight of thestack of milk storage reservoirs disposed on top of the weight sensor.When a storage reservoir is added to or removed from the organizer, theweight sensor can detect the corresponding change in weight, andcommunicate the information to the inventory or to the application.

FIG. 31 shows an exemplary method 3100 of removing an item from a breastmilk inventory. In step 3105, a user selects an inventory item to removefrom storage from a list of available inventory. For example, anapplication as described herein may provide the user with the option ofviewing the inventory of available milk, and selecting an item to feedor discard. The inventory may optionally present inventory items inorder of first-to-feed to last-to-feed, based on an algorithm asdescribed herein; for example, the oldest inventory item that has not“expired” or surpassed a pre-set storage time limit may be displayed atthe top of the inventory list. In step 3110, the user selects the milkstorage reservoir or container corresponding to the selected inventoryitem. The user may identify the appropriate storage reservoir using anymethod described herein (e.g., visual identification of a human-readablecode, scanning and visualization of a QR code, etc.).

In step 3115, the application determines whether milk in the selectedstorage reservoir is to be discarded or fed. This information may beobtained from the user, for example by prompting the user to provide aselection through the application. Alternatively, the application mayobtain the information from another device in communication with theperipheral device, such as an RFID reader comprising means for users toprovide inputs regarding the destination of a scanned storage reservoir(e.g., buttons to select feed/store/discard). Alternatively, theapplication may comprise instructions to determine this informationautomatically. For example, if the selected inventory item has exceededan expiry threshold as described herein, the application may assume thatthe item is to be discarded; conversely, if the item has not exceededthe expiry threshold, the application may assume that the item is to befed.

In step 3120, wherein the inventory item is fed to a child, the systemdetermines whether all of the milk contained in the storage reservoir isconsumed. This information may be obtained from the user, for example byprompting the user to provide the volume of remaining milk, if any,through the application. Alternatively, the information may bedetermined automatically, for example by sensing the volume of theremaining milk with an integrated sensor of the storage reservoir, or bysensing the weight of the remaining milk with an integrated weightsensor of the storage reservoir organizing system as described elsewhereherein.

In step 3125, wherein there is milk remaining in the storage reservoirafter the feeding, the inventory is updated to show the remaining volumeof milk for the inventory item corresponding to the selected reservoir.In step 3130, wherein all of the milk in the reservoir has been fed, theinventory is updated to remove the inventory item corresponding to theselected reservoir. In step 3135, the feed log as described herein isalso updated with information for the feeding session.

In step 3140, wherein the milk in the selected storage reservoir isdiscarded, the inventory item corresponding to the reservoir is removedfrom the inventory.

While method 3100 comprises selecting an inventory item from a listprovided through the application, the inventory management system mayalso be configured to allow users to physically select a storagereservoir without referring to the inventory list.

FIG. 32 shows another exemplary method 3200 of removing an item from abreast milk inventory. In step 3205, a user selects and removes astorage reservoir from storage. In step 3210, the user provides theunique identifier of the selected storage reservoir to the system, forexample by manually inputting a user-assigned, human-readable codethrough the application, printing a label with an identifier using alabel printer as described herein, scanning a QR code with theperipheral device, and/or scanning an RFID tag with an RFID reader.

In step 3215, the application determines whether the selected storagereservoir is to be discarded or fed. This information may be obtainedfrom the user, for example by prompting the user to provide a selectionthrough the application. Alternatively, the application may obtain theinformation from another device in communication with the peripheraldevice, such as an RFID reader comprising means for users to provideinputs regarding the destination of a scanned storage reservoir (e.g.,buttons to select feed/store/discard). Alternatively, the applicationmay comprise instructions to determine this information automatically.For example, if the selected inventory item has exceeded an expirythreshold as described herein, the application may assume that the itemis to be discarded; conversely, if the item has not exceeded the expirythreshold, the application may assume that the item is to be fed.

In step 3220, wherein the inventory item is fed to a child, the systemdetermines whether all of the milk contained in the storage reservoir isconsumed. This information may be obtained from the user, for example byprompting the user to provide the volume of remaining milk, if any.Alternatively, the information may be determined automatically, forexample by sensing the volume of the remaining milk with a sensor of thestorage reservoir, or by sensing the weight of the remaining milk withan integrated weight sensor of the storage reservoir organizing systemas described elsewhere herein.

In step 3225, wherein there is milk remaining in the storage reservoirafter the feeding, the inventory is updated to show the remaining volumeof milk for the inventory item corresponding to the selected reservoir.In step 3230, wherein all of the milk in the reservoir has been fed, theinventory is updated to remove the inventory item corresponding to theselected reservoir. In step 3235, the feed log as described herein isalso updated with information for the feeding session.

In step 3240, wherein the milk in the selected storage reservoir isdiscarded, the inventory item corresponding to the reservoir is removedfrom the inventory.

Method 3200 can allow users to remove items from the milk inventorywithout interacting with the application. The unique identifier maycomprise a machine-readable identifier as described herein, and amachine capable of recognizing the identifier, such as a barcode readeror an RFID reader, can be disposed in a location near the refrigeratorand/or freezer. The user can simply remove a storage reservoir from itsstorage location and scan the identifier of the reservoir with themachine to automatically update the inventory. Such a configuration canallow persons who do not have access to the application, such ascaregivers, to update the milk inventory automatically as they feed ordiscard stored milk.

For example, wherein the unique identifier comprises an RFID tag, anRFID reader as described herein may be disposed at a convenient locationfor scanning the storage reservoirs (e.g., attached to the door of therefrigerator/freezer, placed on a kitchen counter, etc.). A user canremove a storage reservoir from storage and scan the reservoir with theRFID reader. The RFID reader can be configured to communicate with theperipheral device comprising the application for the pump system, forexample via a wireless connection. When the reader scans an RFID tag,the reader can alert the application that the storage reservoircorresponding to the recognized RFID tag has been removed from storage.As described herein, the application may apply an algorithm toautomatically determine whether the identified milk is fed or discarded,or the RFID reader may comprise a user input that allows the user toindicate whether the milk is to be fed or discarded. The inventory maybe updated accordingly. Optionally, updates to the inventory may bewithheld until an authorized user of the pump system approves theupdates via the application. For example, when a storage reservoircorresponding to an item in the inventory is scanned, the applicationmay alert the authorized user of the system that a change to theinventory has been detected, and ask the user to confirm that theinventory update is correct. Such alerts may be presented to the user inreal-time, or periodically at set time-intervals (e.g., every day at7:00 pm).

The steps of methods 3100 and 3200 are provided as examples of methodsof removing an item from a milk inventory in accordance withembodiments. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize manyvariations and modifications of methods 3100 and 3200 based on thedisclosure provided herein. For example, some steps may be added orremoved. One or more steps may be performed in a different order than asillustrated in FIGS. 31 and 32. Some of the steps may comprisesub-steps. Many of the steps may be repeated as many times asappropriate or necessary.

After a user has selected a storage reservoir as in step 3110 of method3100 or step 3210 of method 3200, the user may decide to take an actionother than feeding or discarding the milk contained in the reservoir.For example, the user may decide to change the storage location of thereservoir. The application may provide such an action as auser-selectable option when an inventory item is selected by a user oridentified via the unique identifier. Alternatively, the application mayobtain the information from another device in communication with theperipheral device, such as an RFID reader. For example, a user mayremove a storage reservoir from the freezer, select “refrigerator” asthe destination on the RFID reader and proceed to scan the reservoirwith the reader. The application may then recognize that the reservoiris being moved from the freezer to the refrigerator, and accordinglychange the storage location associated with the inventory item. Thesystem may be further configured to allow and keep track of other useractions (e.g., transfer of milk from a selected reservoir to another).

An inventory management application for tracking and managing breastmilk inventory may be provided via the peripheral device, and may beprogrammed with various features and functionalities to facilitateinventory management by a user. As described herein, the application maybe programmed to prompt the user to record additions to or removals fromthe inventory, or record volumes of consumed milk. Optionally, theapplication may provide additional features to further facilitate theuser workflow. The application may be programmed to provide a dailyreminder or trigger message to recommend one or more inventory-relatedactions to the user. For example, the application may be programmed toperform a check of the inventory every evening, and recommend that theuser move some inventory from the freezer to the refrigerator if theinventory shows little or no milk stored in the refrigerator. Theapplication may be programmed to periodically check the inventory foritems expiring within a short window of time (e.g., within 24 hours),and remind the user to feed this milk within said window of time and/ormove the inventory item from the freezer to the refrigerator such thatthe milk may be fed.

The expressed milk inventory may be stored onto a remote or cloudserver, so that the inventory may be accessed by users given permission.For example, a child caregiver may update the inventory appropriately asmilk is fed to the infant. A pediatrician may also be able to access theinventory to track milk production and content, in order to determinewhether the infant is receiving the appropriate nutrition.

Experimental Data

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate experimental pumping data obtained from acommercial breast pump device and an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. The exemplary embodiment utilized an incompressible fluid forpumping and had a maximum hydraulic fluid volume of 4 cc, while thecommercial device utilized air for pumping and had a maximum volume of114 cc.

FIG. 15 illustrates a graph of the pump performance as quantified byvacuum pressure generated per run. For the exemplary embodiment,pressure measurements were taken for 1 cc, 2 cc, 3 cc, and 4 cc of fluidvolume displaced by the pump, with the run number corresponding to thevolume in cc. For the commercial device, measurements were taken withthe pump set to one of seven equally incremented positions along thevacuum adjustment gauge representing 46 cc, 57 cc, 68 cc, 80 cc, 91 cc,103 cc, and 114 cc of fluid volume displaced by the pump, respectively,with the run number corresponding to the position number. Curve 700corresponds to the exemplary embodiment and curve 705 corresponds to thecommercial device. The exemplary embodiment generated higher levels ofvacuum pressure per displacement volume compared to the commercialdevice, with maximum vacuum pressures of −240.5 mmHg and −177.9 mmHg,respectively.

FIG. 16 illustrates a graph of the pump efficiency as measured by themaximum vacuum pressure per maximum volume of fluid displaced, with bar710 corresponding to the exemplary embodiment and bar 715 correspondingto the commercial device. The exemplary embodiment demonstrated a42-fold increase in pumping efficiency compared to the commercialdevice, with efficiencies of −71.1 mmHg/cc and −1.7 mmHg/cc,respectively.

The various techniques described herein may be partially or fullyimplemented using code that is storable upon storage media and computerreadable media, and executable by one or more processors of a computersystem. Storage media and computer readable media for containing code,or portions of code, can include any appropriate media known or used inthe art, including storage media and communication media, such as butnot limited to volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removablemedia implemented in any method or technology for storage and/ortransmission of information such as computer readable instructions, datastructures, program modules, or other data, including RAM, ROM, EEPROM,flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk(DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, solid statedrives (SSD) or other solid state storage devices, or any other mediumwhich can be used to store the desired information and which can beaccessed by the a system device. Based on the disclosure and teachingsprovided herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciateother ways and/or methods to implement the various embodiments.

It shall be understood that different aspects of the invention can beappreciated individually, collectively, or in combination with eachother. Suitable elements or features of any of the embodiments describedherein can be combined or substituted with elements or features of anyother embodiment.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatsuch embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerousvariations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilledin the art without departing from the invention. It should be understoodthat various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention describedherein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended thatthe following claims define the scope of the invention and that methodsand structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents becovered thereby.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for quantifying expressed milk from ahuman breast, said system comprising: a breast milk expression deviceconfigured to express milk from the breast; a reservoir fluidly coupledto the breast milk expression device and configured to collect theexpressed breast milk, wherein the reservoir comprises a uniqueidentifier; a sensor unit configured to quantify one or more attributesof the expressed breast milk; and a peripheral device in communicationwith the sensor unit, wherein the peripheral device is configured toassociate the one or more attributes of the expressed milk quantified bythe sensor unit with the unique identifier of the reservoir containingthe expressed breast milk.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensorunit is integrated with the reservoir and is configured to quantify theone or more attributes of the expressed breast milk as the expressedbreast milk is collected into the reservoir.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein the sensor unit is integrated with the breast milk expressiondevice and is configured to quantify the one or more attributes of theexpressed breast milk as the expressed breast milk is collected into thereservoir.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises aseparate sensor unit in communication with the peripheral device, theseparate sensor unit configured to quantify one or more attributes ofthe expressed breast milk after the expressed breast milk has beencollected in the reservoir.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one ormore attributes of the expressed breast milk quantified by the sensorunit comprise a volume of the expressed breast milk collected in thereservoir.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more attributesof the expressed breast milk quantified by the sensor unit comprise acomposition of the expressed milk, and wherein the sensor unit isconfigured to quantify the relative amount of one or more compoundspresent in the expressed breast milk.
 7. The system of claim 1, whereinthe breast milk expression device is configured to generate pump sessiondata comprising a start time of a pump session and an end time of thepump session, and wherein the peripheral device is further configured toassociate the pump session data with the unique identifier of thereservoir.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device isfurther configured with instructions to update an inventory of expressedbreast milk in response to the association of the one or more attributesof the expressed milk with the unique identifier of the reservoircontaining the expressed breast milk.
 9. The system of claim 8, whereinthe peripheral device is configured to generate an inventory item in theinventory of expressed breast milk corresponding to the uniqueidentifier of the reservoir containing the expressed breast milk. 10.The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier comprises one ormore of a human-readable code, a barcode, a Quick Response (QR) code,and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag.
 11. The system of claim1, further comprising a label printer for generating a label for thereservoir comprising the unique identifier, wherein the label printer isconfigured to communicate with the peripheral device and provide theunique identifier to the peripheral device when the label is generated.12. A method for quantifying expression of breast milk from a humanbreast, said method comprising: expressing breast milk from a humanbreast using a breast milk expression device; collecting the expressedbreast milk into a reservoir fluidly coupled to the breast milkexpression device; quantifying one or more attributes of the expressedbreast milk with a sensor unit; generating pump session data comprisinga start time of expression of the breast milk and an end time of theexpression; digitally associating the pump session data with the one ormore attributes of the expressed milk; and updating a pump session logwith the pump session data, wherein the pump session log is stored on aperipheral device in communication with the breast milk expressiondevice.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein quantifying comprisesquantifying the one or more attributes of the expressed breast milk asthe expressed breast milk is collected into the reservoir.
 14. Themethod of claim 12, wherein quantifying comprises quantifying the one ormore attributes of the expressed breast milk after the expressed breastmilk has been collected in the reservoir.
 15. The method of claim 12,wherein quantifying comprises quantifying a volume of the expressedbreast milk collected in the reservoir.
 16. The method of claim 12,wherein quantifying comprises quantifying a relative amount of one ormore compounds present in the expressed breast milk.
 17. The method ofclaim 12, further comprising feeding the expressed breast milk to achild, and determining a volume of expressed breast milk consumed by thechild.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising updating a feedlog stored on the peripheral device to add feeding session datacomprising a time of the feeding and the volume of consumed breast milk.19. The method of claim 12, wherein the reservoir comprises a uniqueidentifier, and wherein the method further comprises providing theunique identifier to the peripheral device and digitally associating theunique identifier with the pump session data and the one or moreattributes of the expressed milk.
 20. The method of claim 19, whereinthe unique identifier comprises a human-readable code, and whereinproviding the unique identifier to the peripheral device comprisesprompting a user to input the human-readable code via an application ofthe peripheral device.
 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the uniqueidentifier comprises a machine-readable code, and wherein providing theunique identifier to the peripheral device comprises reading themachine-readable code with a machine configured to recognize themachine-readable code.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein themachine-readable code comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID)tag, and wherein providing the unique identifier to a peripheral devicecomprises scanning the RFID tag with an RFID reader in communicationwith the peripheral device.
 23. The method of claim 19, furthercomprising updating an inventory of expressed breast milk to add a newinventory item corresponding to the unique identifier of the reservoircontaining the expressed breast milk.
 24. The method of claim 12,further comprising transferring the expressed milk from the reservoir toanother storage reservoir comprising a unique identifier.
 25. A systemfor managing an inventory of expressed breast milk, said systemcomprising: a reservoir containing expressed breast milk, wherein thereservoir comprises a unique identifier; an inventory managementdatabase comprising one or more inventory items, each inventory itemassociated with a unique identifier of a reservoir; and a computingdevice configured with instructions to: receive the unique identifier ofthe reservoir, receive one or more attributes of the expressed breastmilk digitally associated with the unique identifier, and update theinventory management database in response to receiving the uniqueidentifier.
 26. The system of claim 25, wherein the one or moreattributes of the expressed breast milk comprise a date and time ofexpression of the expressed breast milk.
 27. The system of claim 25,wherein the computing device is further configured to sort the one ormore inventory items in the inventory management database in order offirst-to-feed to last-to-feed.
 28. The system of claim 25, wherein thecomputing device is further configured to display the inventorymanagement database to a user.
 29. The system of claim 25, wherein thecomputing device is further configured to locally store the inventorymanagement database.
 30. The system of claim 25, further comprising aserver in communication with the computing device, the server configuredto remotely store the inventory management database.
 31. The system ofclaim 25, wherein the unique identifier comprises a Quick Response (QR)code, and wherein the computing device is further configured torecognize the QR code.
 32. The system of claim 25, wherein the uniqueidentifier comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, andwherein the system further comprises an RFID reader in communicationwith the computing device, the RFID reader configured to recognize theRFID tag and provide identifier information to the computing device. 33.The system of claim 25, further comprising a reservoir organizerconfigured to store a plurality of reservoirs in a stackedconfiguration, wherein the organizer comprises a top opening configuredto receive the plurality of reservoirs one at a time and a bottomopening configured to allow withdrawal of a reservoir disposed at thebottom of a stack of the plurality of reservoirs, thereby facilitating afirst-in, first-out system of organization.
 34. The system of claim 33,wherein the reservoir organizer further comprises an integrated RFIDreader configured to scan an RFID tag disposed on a storage reservoir asthe storage reservoir enters or exits the reservoir organizer, whereinthe RFID reader communicates detected scans to the computing device. 35.The system of claim 33, wherein the reservoir organizer furthercomprises an integrated weight sensor configured to measure a weight ofthe stack of the plurality of reservoirs, wherein the weight sensorcommunicates detected changes in the weight of the stack to thecomputing device.
 36. A method for managing an inventory of expressedbreast milk, said method comprising: identifying, from an inventory ofexpressed breast milk, an inventory item associated with a uniqueidentifier of a reservoir containing expressed breast milk; and updatingthe inventory of expressed breast milk with respect to the identifiedinventory item; wherein the inventory is locally stored on a computingdevice, the computing device configured with instructions to provide aninventory management application.
 37. The method of claim 36, whereinthe unique identifier is digitally associated with pump session data forthe expressed breast milk contained in the reservoir, the pump sessiondata comprising a date and time of expression of the expressed breastmilk.
 38. The method of claim 36, wherein the unique identifier isdigitally associated with one or more attributes of the expressed breastmilk contained in the reservoir.
 39. The method of claim 36, whereinidentifying an inventory item comprises obtaining the unique identifierof the reservoir selected and removed from storage by a user.
 40. Themethod of claim 36, wherein identifying an inventory item comprisesdisplaying, via the inventory management application of the computingdevice, a list of inventory items in the inventory, and prompting a userto select the inventory item from the list of inventory items.
 41. Themethod of claim 40, further comprising sorting the list of inventoryitems in order of first-to-feed to last-to-feed.
 42. The method of claim41, wherein sorting comprises sorting in order of date of expression ofthe expressed breast milk, wherein an inventory item corresponding toexpressed breast milk with an oldest date of expression is determined tobe the first-to-feed, and an inventory item corresponding to expressedbreast milk with a newest date of expression is determined to be thelast-to-feed.
 43. The method of claim 41, wherein the method furthercomprises providing, via the inventory management application of thecomputing device, a visual display of a plurality of reservoirscorresponding to a plurality of inventory items in the inventory, thevisual display identifying the first-to-feed inventory item.
 44. Themethod of claim 40, further comprising indicating an inventory item asexpired if a difference between a current date and a date of expressionof the expressed breast milk corresponding to the inventory item exceedsa predetermined expiry threshold.
 45. The method of claim 36, whereinupdating the inventory comprises removing the inventory item from theinventory in response to a determination that there is no remaining milkin the reservoir.
 46. The method of claim 36, wherein updating theinventory comprises updating information associated with the inventoryitem in response to a determination that there is remaining milk in thereservoir.
 47. The method of claim 46, wherein updating informationassociated with the inventory item comprises updating a volume of theexpressed breast milk contained in the reservoir.
 48. The method ofclaim 46, wherein updating information associated with the inventoryitem comprises updating a storage location of the reservoir.
 49. Themethod of claim 36, wherein the inventory is locally stored on thecomputing device.
 50. The method of claim 36, wherein the inventory isremotely stored on a server in communication with the computing device.51. The method of claim 36, wherein the unique identifier comprises aradio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, and wherein the methodfurther comprises scanning the RFID tag with an RFID reader incommunication with the computing device.